The Blue Rose 2: Sacrifices of the Heart
by SPDudley
Summary: EVA-04 and its pilot join forces with Mari Illustrious Makinami and Unit 05 to protect NERV and the world from SEELE's impending holocaust. The sequel to Blue Rose, set during End of Evangelion. The second in a three-part series.
1. Prologue

_This story is the second part in a series. For the first part, please visit .net/s/5162341/1/The_Blue_Rose_

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_There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. - John 15:13_

_Who Dares Wins. - British military proverb_

_for Haru (if she'll ever get around to reading it!)_

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* * *

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Prologue:

Amid the echo of his own footsteps the agent made his way into the darkness. He was following an underground concrete tunnel and given only the most minimal light by tiny green floodlights that showed him the way to a larger passage partially filled with water.

As he approached the larger passage the agent checked his watch again. _Running late. He'd better be here._ He stopped suddenly at the larger passage, almost dropping into the water himself. The agent moved carefully around the water running down the concrete gulleys while he listened to radio traffic on his earpiece. His "day job" was in Section 2, NERV's Intelligence and Security branch. He had been employed by Section 2 for several years, working his way up in the organization and earning trust while reporting back what he was learning about NERV to his true superiors. A recent chance meeting with an old friend had changed everything for him and for those who had sent him to Tokyo-3, resulting in the rendezvous that he was now making.

"Subject was spotted in East Auxiliary Drainage Tunnel B," the voice on the radio said. "Send all available agents there now!"

_They're getting close_, he thought. The man moved as fast as he could, but with a nearly 200lb weight encased in the black vinyl bag he was carrying over his shoulder it was difficult for him to run. Fortunately he didn't have to go much farther.

The agent and his bag arrived in a large chamber with a giant propeller, built to fan out bad air from the open spaces of the GeoFront. Standing below the propeller was a Japanese man in his late twenties, with long black hair tied in a pony tail and an unshaven face, dressed in a light blue shirt and black pants. The man in the ponytail smiled at the agent as he entered the chamber.

"There you are!" the man said. "I was afraid you'd be late!" The agent didn't reply but threw the heavy bag down and unzipped it in front of the man standing next to the fan. Inside of the bag was what appeared to be a human body, one with the same face and dimensions as the man now standing in front of the agent.

"A flesh dummy!" the ponytail man mused as he saw what was inside the bag. "You're going to an awful lot of trouble on my account. Quite a handsome devil there. He's almost as handsome as…" As the man was speaking, the agent had reached into his jacket and pulled out a pistol equipped with a silencer. Before the other man could react the agent aimed for the chest and quickly pulled the trigger. A plop was heard and the fugitive immediately went down, eyes rolling as he went.

The agent walked over to where the other man slumped down and rapidly drifted into unconsciousness. "You always talked too much," he told him.


	2. Chapter 1

_Scotland_

Mari Illustrious Makinami was uncharacteristically worried. For the last three days she had been waiting at St. James Exemplary School for Girls but had not heard any word, phone call or otherwise, from her controller. It wasn't like the NERV officer to be so out of touch with her and now after so much time without word she was becoming very concerned.

It had all started two months earlier. Mari was the designated pilot for Evangelion Unit 05, a 40-meter tall green-painted bio-mechanical behemoth that was still in the process of being assembled. She had been the EVA's designated pilot for several years but up until the last two months she had only been trained to pilot the EVA through simulators while the EVA was slowly being constructed in a secret facility in the United Kingdom. Then in October enough of the Evangelion unit was completed for her to begin harmonics testing with the unit. _Finally_, she had thought to herself, _I'll get my chance to pilot!_ Shortly thereafter, her controller Captain Wellington asked her to prepare to leave for Japan within a few weeks. Mari's thoughts were abuzz with excitement at the prospect of being in action against the Angels as well as the opportunity to return to Japan, where she had not lived since she was a small child.

Disappointment then came some weeks later when NERV in Japan requisitioned parts from EVA-05 to repair one of their own units. Unit 05 had just been completed and Mari was working with her on initial trials when NERV UK engineers reluctantly detached all four of EVA-05's limbs and packed them for shipment to Japan, to later re-attach to another of NERV's operational EVAs. Mari was told she would have to wait her turn and the lab frenetically began work to re-complete the EVA unit.

While the pilot-to-be was initially frustrated, Wellington suggested to Mari that the opportunity was there to have a break from constant training and she sent her back to Saint Jim's, located in the Scottish highlands. There she was told to wait for her EVA unit to get back into fighting trim and that she would be contacted when they were ready for her. Over the next few weeks Mari and Wellington traded text messages and phone calls, and the young pilot otherwise tried to settle back into her studies at the boarding school.

Three days ago Mari was awakened at 2 AM by a phone text message from Wellington. The message had cryptically said "UR IN DANGER. B CAREFUL. TRUST NO ONE! WILL XPLN SOON." Mari immediately replied to the controller but received no response. Quickly she first called Wellington's mobile phone (which had now become an inactive number) and then NERV UK operations, whose operator said Capt. Wellington was unavailable. When Mari asked to speak to the director the operator put her in touch with someone from Section 2, the security and intelligence unit. The Section 2 woman, who she wasn't familiar with, had asked her to come back to NERV immediately as they were preparing for EVA operations and they would need her there. Considering that Section 2 was never involved in EVA operations Mari immediately sensed danger, hung up the phone and both switched it off and removed the battery.

Now she waited at Saint Jim's for Wellington to contact her and was unsure of what else she should do. Mari had briefly considered bringing the matter up with the school's Headmistress. Mrs. Hermes was the only one at Saint Jim's who knew of Mari's secret as an EVA pilot, but the text from the captain had said "trust no one" and Mari inferred that meant the headmistress as well. With nowhere else to go Mari had little choice but to wait for Wellie to contact her.

That morning she walked to her classes in the main school building, dubbed "the Castle" for its old brick exterior and parapets. The Castle, like the rest of the school, was quite old, overlaid with ivy and badly in need of a modern heating system. Along the way Mari greeted the many other girls going to class or their morning activities, most of them dressed as she was in the school's burgundy uniform.

"Hello, Lusty!" called out one girl in the hallway. Mari greeted her with a broad smile. "Hello, Mac!" The blond teenager named Lauren MacOwen smiled equally back.

"How is your aunt Gertrude doing?" Mac asked.

"Oh, she's quite chipper as of late," Mari replied. Mari's lengthy absences from school were often covered as visits to her sickly relative.

"Figured. You've been around for a while this time, eh?" Lauren twirled her French curls with her fingers as she spoke.

"Yes, she seems to have turned a bit of a corner. We haven't needed to tend to her quite as much."

"Well good, then," the other girl replied. "We'll see you on the grounds this afternoon. Field Hockey is playing Oxbury at the pitch."  
"Oh, well I can't miss that, can I?"

"Right then, we'll be seeing you." With that Lauren turned around and walked away, greeting others as she went.

Up on the second floor Mari filed into her first class along with about twenty other students. The class itself was classical literature and today featured their droning lecturer Miss Vickers going on about John Milton's _Paradise Lost_. All of the girls had their computer notebooks open during the class and while they were supposed to be taking notes most were using them for chatting and passing messages.

Underneath her desk Mari fingered her cellphone. She had not replaced the battery but was contemplating snapping it back in to try to call Wellington again, despite the risk it carried. As she was nervously squeezing the phone, in front of her on her notebook a private chat box appeared.

$$$81KRX: R U Mari ILLUSTRIOUS?

Mari didn't recognize the user name but for a moment still considered replying. _Then again_, she thought, _it might be those pranksters from the boy's school at Middebough._ After a few seconds the message appeared again.

$$$81KRX: R U Mari ILLUSTRIOUS?

At that she was annoyed and replied back:

MILLUS: WHO WANTS TO KNOW? IS THIS JACK HAWKINS FROM MIDDIE?

Annoyance turned to shock at the response:

$$$81KRX: U R PILOT OF EVA-05?

_It's not Wellie, she would have said something_. Mari quickly exchanged messages with the mystery sender.

MILLUS: WHO R U?

$$$81KRX: U R IN DANGER. LEAVE NOW. SEE ME IN LR3 IN FRONT.

MILLUS: NOT GOING ANYWHERE. WHO BLOODYHELL R U?

$$$81KRX: WELLIE SENT ME. GO NOW!

MILLUS: WHY SHE NOT HERE HERSELF?

$$$81KRX: SHES WITH UR EVA. NO TIME EXPLN. GO NOW!

MILLUS: NOT GOING UNTIL YOU SAY WHO YOU ARE

$$$81KRX: I'M MUSASHI YOUR JAPANESE RELATIVE

MILLUS: SCREW YOU - I DON'T HAVE ANY!

$$$81KRX: 2 MEN IN HALL. DO NO GO WITH THEM! THEY WILL KILL YOU!

Mari was just about to reply when she saw the small head and torso of Mrs. Hermes lean through the doorway. "Ms. Vickers, would it be possible if I borrow Miss Illustrious for a moment?" she asked the lecturer. The younger woman gave her a quick nod and motioned to Mari, who was already putting away her notebook computer in her school bag. Mari got up out of her chair and left the classroom with the headmistress.

Waiting ten steps down the hall were two tall men in black suits and black sunglasses. Mari could see each had an earpiece in one year. She thought about the warning she had just received and tightened her grip on her school bag.

Mrs. Hermes spoke to her in understanding tones. "Mari, these two men were sent by your Aunt Gertrude. They say that your aunt's taken a turn for the worse and they'd like to take you back to tend to her."

_Section Two, no doubt, _Mari thought. _But this doesn't at all seem right. _"Oh, really? Well, I was speaking with Aunt Gertrude just a moment ago and she seemed rather in good spirits!"

The headmistress was about to say something when one of the security men interrupted her. "Please come with us, Miss Illustrious. It's extremely important that you do so." Mari saw that the second agent was fingering something in his waist belt and she slowly swung her school bag from her shoulder.

"I think not," she said and started to slowly walk backwards, her school bag now being held in front of her by both hands. Both agents took a step towards her and the first swung his hand inside his jacket. "Let's not make this messy, shall we dear?" the agent said to her with a wide, toothy smile.

_Time to run. _Mari quickly swung her school bag a full revolution in the air and slammed it into the first man's crotch. The security man grimaced in pain as the other one pulled out a pistol with a silencer from his waist. Mari let go of the bag and ran the opposite way down the hall as fast as she could.

"Wait a minute!" Mrs. Hermes yelled at the two men with eyes wide in surprise. "What's all this about then?" Still in pain, the first agent reached into this jacket and grabbed his own pistol while calling into his microphone. "Rabbit is loose! Rabbit is loose!" Mrs. Hermes saw the two guns and immediately tried to turn and run, but the first agent shot her in the back as the second one fired several shots at Mari. Mrs. Hermes fell down to the floor.

Mari didn't look back as she saw a glass window next to her shatter from the impact of bullets. She turned the corner and ran full speed towards the library, hearing more gunshots behind her as well as screams from many of the classrooms. There was the sound of an explosion coming from somewhere outside the building. Mari burst through the double doors of the library and headed straight for a large stained-glass window.

A stern, prim-looking librarian stood up from her desk as Mari rushed in. "Oh, no! Not _you_ again! No roughhousing, Miss Illustrious!" Mari ignored the woman and kept running toward the large window at the other end of the library, ripping a tapestry off the wall with her right hand as she went.

A second later the two men in black ran through the double doors. "What the devil? Would you mind…" the librarian said, but one of the men shot her in the forehead and she crumpled down on her desk. The other shot at Mari again as she wrapped herself in the tapestry and rushed towards the window.

Mari quickly threw the tapestry over her head and with all of her strength flung herself out of the window. The delicate glass shattered as she flew through it and plunged downward, praying as she went.

_Oh, God please don't let today be the day they clean the awning!_

She felt herself bounce on the awning below the window and roll over, and then heard tearing sounds as the fabric was unable to support her weight. She plummeted the three meters to the ground.

Mari threw off the tapestry and shook her head, quickly checking her glasses to see if they were damaged. As she noticed the crack in one of the lenses a green Land Rover LR3 pulled up alongside her.

"Lusty! Get in!" a man's voice shouted. Without thinking, Mari opened the passenger door and climbed inside. Before she was even in her seat the man accelerated the LR3 towards the school gates. Another car pulled up along side them, but the driver shot at them with a sub-machine gun in his right hand and then sped through the open school gates. Mari looked back behind them and saw smoke and fire coming from one SUV in front of the school, while another was following them down the road.

"We've got one behind us still!" she told the driver. Without looking back he replied "Our friends will take care of that one." Mari ducked as gunfire came from the vehicle behind them, putting holes in the back window. She heard another loud boom and looked back again and saw that the SUV following them was now on fire, and it stumbled off the road and exploded. The EVA pilot heard a buzzing sound, looked up to her left and saw a small white unpiloted airplane fly past them. It was a combat drone, she observed. Mari settled back in her seat and looked at the driver, who appeared to be an Asian man in his late twenties with short-cut hair. He didn't look back at her.

"Musashi, I presume?"

"Yes. Are you OK, Makinami-chan?" He spoke to her in perfect Japanese.

"I think so," she replied back, also in Japanese. Mari looked at her glasses again and noticed the crack was small. She pulled out the visor and checked herself in the mirror, seeing a small bruise on her cheek. Otherwise she looked like her 14-year old normal self, blue eyes and all. The man spoke again. "You handled yourself quite well back there."

"Thanks. It seems I've done just about everything but actually pilot. Where's Wellie?"

"Captain Wellington is with your Evangelion. They needed someone who was familiar with its operation to be sure it shipped intact. We apologize for the abruptness of this: you were under surveillance and we couldn't contact you another way."

"Why would Section 2 want to kill me?"

"Section 2 is just their cover. They're working for someone else that wants to eliminate all traces of the EVA program and especially the pilots."  
"Who are you?"

"My group is the Alliance, a group of ex-UN military officers and scientists who are trying to stop Third Impact from happening."

"I thought that was NERV's job?"  
"NERV is being used to facilitate Third Impact, not stop it," the man said tersely. "The whole Evangelion project is not what it appears to be."

Mari looked around them, noticing that Musashi turned a corner into a dirt road and was driving them into a forest. She crossed her legs and felt a hole in her stockings. She calmly asked the driver "Why should I believe any of this?"

Musashi looked at her and grinned. "Because they're trying to kill you, and we're not."

They drove into a clearing and Mari saw a VSTOL aircraft landed on the ground, with soldiers dressed in camouflage surrounding it. One soldier was packing up the white drone that she had seen flying by earlier. Musashi got out of the car and spoke with the pilot of the aircraft, who then gave him two helmets. As she got out of the car, Musashi handed one of the helmets to her. "They'll be looking for us. We need to get going."

"Where are we going?"

"First Greenland, then Australia, and then on to Japan. I'll fully explain everything on the way." Seeing no options other than to go with the Alliance people, Mari shrugged her shoulders, put on the helmet, and walked to the awaiting aircraft.

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Misato Katsuragi sat at her desk working on a variety of reports and tried to concentrate on getting routine work done, pushing out all else from her mind. While she normally hated paperwork she was thankful for any escape that would allow her to remain distant from the others at NERV, as recently there was just too much drama for even her to deal with.

"Hello!" a young male voice cheerfully called out. Misato swiveled her chair to face the door and saw her assistant, Lt. Makoto Hyuga, standing in the doorway holding a red binder in his hand. "Hi" she wearily replied.

Hyuga placed the red binder in her in-box on top of about 10 centimeters of paperwork. "Just dropping this off." Misato picked up the binder without looking at it. "What's this?"

"Final report on the EVA-03/S2 Incident," Hyuga informed her.

Misato sighed as she opened up the binder and flipped through the pages. "With so much happening I had forgotten about this. Anything new in here?"  
"Without proper evidence there wasn't much else they could conclude how the Americans were able to accelerate their EVA program or what their true aims were," Hyuga reported. "Dr. Akagi did do a complete scan of the MAGI's core system and found a number of script anomalies that were promptly removed. She contends that Dr. Forrestal was behind the whole thing but the evidence was..."

"...wiped out with Second Branch," Misato finished for him.  
"Correct."  
The major frowned. "Convenient. What about the pilots?"  
"The report's conclusion was that both pilots were using help in the form of a control serum to pilot the EVAs. With EVA-03 that's confirmed given the pilot's death. It's assumed that the pilot of Unit 04 was doing the same."

"Anything else?"  
Hyuga hesitated. "It's not in the report but..."  
"But what?"

Hyuga carefully looked out the doorway and then lowered his voice. "Whoever planned this had the balls to take on both the UN and NERV. Either they're very stupid or very cunning, and they very nearly succeeded. The UN never did catch their leader or even find out from where the attack was launched. They're still out there."

Misato looked directly at him, her facial expression exuding complete seriousness. "Right now that's not our problem. We stay focused on defeating the Angels. Let the UN worry about the rest."

"Yes, Major," Hyuga answered and then left the room.

Misato looked again at the contents of the binder and saw the two photographs of Vance Vinson and Patrick Forrestal. Both were good EVA pilots, and had circumstances been different either of them would have made a good addition to NERV. Unfortunately one of them was now dead and probably the other one as well, both pawns in a darkly obscured plot which true goal could only be grasped at.

_It's a damn shame it came to this: we could have used both of you right about now, but there's nothing more to be said._ Misato silently closed the binder and tossed it on top of a pile of paperwork on her desk.

* * *

Commander Gendo Ikari stood in the Dummy Plug Plant room and silently observed Rei Ayanami as she floated in the scan tube. He held a bathrobe in his hands as Dr. Akagi worked with several consoles that controlled the Plant operations.

"We're done," Dr Akagi told the commander as she finished the scan program. Ritsuko confirmed the data obtained was saved and backed up, then hit a button to drain the tube of LCL. Rei floated silently downward to the bottom of the tube and then took a deep breath as air again filled the tube. The tube lifted slightly upward, revealing an opening in the clear plexiglass through which Rei then bent over and crawled out of.

The young girl walked over to where the commander was standing. She was completely naked, necessary for the function of the scanner. Without any inhibition she stopped in front of Commander Ikari, the LCL still dripping from her hair and skin. Dr. Akagi looked up from her station at the commander, telling him "It's all there." Ikari nodded to her and then looked down at Rei, smiling slightly. "We're finished. We have all of the data we need from you now." Rei nodded silently as Gendo slowly pulled the bathrobe over Rei's wet body.

"When will you release Unit 01?" she asked him in her whisper-like voice.

"Not right now. It will be needed for Instrumentality."

"How long will it be?" she asked him, moving her hands through her hair as he tied the robe around her waist.

"It won't be much longer," he replied in a quiet voice. For a moment they both stood there as their eyes met. Rei looked at the commander inquisitively, as his expression seemed different this time. To her, his breathing seemed harder and he was perspiring despite the coldness of the chamber they were in.

Without saying anything, Gendo took a gloved hand and placed it on her cheek. Her eyes went wide in surprise as he slowly caressed her face.

_Why…why does he look at me like that?_

Rei began to tremble as she suddenly felt fearful. In all of her existence she had never felt the need to be afraid of Gendo Ikari. Never until now.

As Gendo moved his hand to touch her hair, Rei moved her own hand up and gently brushed his aside. Her eyes quivering, she broke her gaze of the commander. "I'm sorry. I must go now." Rei quickly took her uniform that was folded neatly on the table next to them, slipped on her shoes and hurried out of the room. Gendo watched her as she left.

He turned around and saw that Ritsuko was standing there at the console staring at him, and realized that she had seen the entire exchange. He narrowed his glance at her and the scientist quickly turned away and pretended to be busy. Gendo then looked up at the empty scan tube.

_It won't be much longer, will it…Yui._


	3. Chapter 2

_Australia_

Deep in the Australian desert, Pine Gap was once an intelligence and command facility run by the U.S. National Security Agency. Located just a few miles from the outback town of Alice Springs (which was literally in the middle of Australia) Pine Gap's original purpose was to track, control and get information from intelligence satellites in polar orbit across the old U.S.S.R.. After Second Impact devastated Australia Pine Gap was abandoned, even though Alice Springs was the one place in Australia that was left relatively unscathed.

In the last year a slow trickle of people and aircraft had begun traveling in secret to Pine Gap. It had taken a few months for technicians to re-build the facility and make use of the old communication dishes there and much of the place was still in disarray, but within six months the Alliance had transformed Pine Gap into its operational headquarters.

Within the old facility was a large command center, it's interior spacious and dark. Several large monitors covered the walls, the largest being a map of earth showing all current satellites and their orbital positions. Technicians manned the control stations as others worked on installing even more equipment. Seated at the command desk at the far side of the room were two men: one was tall and muscular, with salt-and-pepper hair, the other older, thin with a smartly-clipped mustache. Their attention was drawn to one of the large screens in front labeled TOKYO-3.

"How long has that thing been up there?" the muscular officer asked.

"Perhaps an hour," the other replied in a British accent. "They've made several attempts to attack it with positron cannons, but no effect."

"Why hasn't it attacked?"

"It did, some sort of a probing beam. There was no damage to the EVA but the pilot suffered severe mental trauma. They've pulled back the other one for now."

Both of them watched the screen as colored dots on the lower left edge indicated Tokyo-3 and three Evangelion units and the large blue dot on the upper right was an Angel, in this case the Fifteenth. There was some rapid movement where the EVAs were and then the main space display was lit up with activity.

"Something's happening, sir!" one of the technicians called out. The commander stood up. "What is it?"

"Something being fired at the target at very high velocity." The main screen showed an object moving at very high speed towards Earth orbit. The object hit the blue-colored target and kept going outwards. Immediately after it did that the vast majority of the colored lights that represented satellites and other objects in orbit went dark. Several of the screens on the wall also displayed static.

"What the hell just happened!"

The technician reported "Whatever they did just knocked out everything in LEO." LEO stood for Low Earth Orbit.

"What about geosynchronous orbits?" asked the other commander.

"Looks like a lot of that stuff got fried, too," the technician said.

Another, younger female officer now reported. "According to initial analysis approximately 97% of orbiting satellites are either destroyed or inoperable." A few long whistles were heard among the staff.

"What about the UN surveillance network?" the British officer asked.

"Also down, as is their communications constellation," the younger officer replied.

The British commander looked at the American standing next to him. "They're blind, deaf and dumb right now. There might not be a better chance."

The American commander was silent for a moment, biting his finger and thinking carefully. "Johnny, once we do this there's no going back."

"Considering the fact that there may be only two Angels to go and also what we've learned about the other side's EVA program," the Englishman replied, "there simply may not be a better opportunity for us."

The American took a deep breath and scanned the screens in front of him. The chaos that was likely from the downing of nearly all of Earth's satellite networks would provide the perfect cover for what they had been planning for years. He turned to the British officer. "Agreed. Get it started."

The other officer smiled thinly. "Affirmative."

"Can we get our own satellites up there?" the American asked him.

"We can take some advantage of the chaos and with the extensive orbital debris it will be hard for others to track us. It might take them a few weeks to realize we're up there with our own birds. We won't have too many, though. Just enough to have secure communications and a barely functional GPS system."

"That's enough. It only has to work for a little while. Let's get it done." The commander looked at him and nodded. "Yes, Admiral Vinson."

The British officer picked up a phone and started issuing orders. "Comms, this is Command. Send the word on VLF - WEDDING INVITATIONS OUT." The voice on the other end replied "Aye, aye, sir."

Across the world during the next few days there were several reported incidents of UN military aircraft, ships, personnel, and even entire combat units disappearing. The destruction of the UN's control satellite network made it nearly impossible for the world's unified military high command to keep track of the sudden loss of some of its combat strength. On top of that though was the impending chaos created by the severance of the much of Earth's way of navigating, communicating and operating efficiently. Considering the increasing panic coming from a terrified population and the clamor of world leaders in many countries that both the UN and NERV were grossly mishandling the situation, the UN military had enough to worry about. Besides, the high command considered, considering the chaos and the already many reports of ships and aircraft missing the assumption was that many of the disappearances were accidental in nature. It would soon learn that they were not.

* * *

_Greenland_

The VSTOL took three hours to make the trip between Scotland and Greenland. During the flight "Musashi" told Mari an abbreviated version of what he and others had learned was the true nature of the Evangelion Project, especially the planned use of the EVA units to bring about Third Impact. Mari just sat there and listened to the man, unsure of what to make of his story.

Once over Greenland Mari looked out the window of the VSTOL and saw a large container ship docked in a makeshift port, which was next to an airstrip with several aircraft parked on top. The pilot landed the VSTOL on the airstrip and Mari, Musashi, and the other soldiers disembarked. Waiting for them was a woman in her 20s with dark hair and dark complexion. She had an ornamental tattoo on her chin, a vestige of her Maori upbringing in New Zealand.

"Wellie!" Mari called out to the woman.

"Lusty!" Capt. Moira Wellington warmly embraced Mari as she ran to her. "I heard about what happened at St. Jim's! I'm so sorry I couldn't contact you earlier."

"It's all good in the end, I suppose" Mari told her. "I'm just so glad to see you! I feared the worst!"

"I'm all right. Let's look at you." Wellington scanned her charge carefully. "Your glasses are broke!"

"Just a scratch," Mari said, and then in a lower voice "They got Mrs. Hermes."

"I know," the officer replied as she pulled out from a duffel bag next to her a new pair of red-rimmed glasses for Mari. "I had considered contacting her earlier, but they had you under surveillance. I couldn't risk tipping them off."

Mari tried on her new glasses after taking off the damaged pair while Wellington grabbed a parka out of the bag for her to wear. "Who's _they_?"

"SEELE, they call themselves. They had plants in Section 2. Right after we stole the EVA they put the whole operation on alert."

"Stole?" Mari exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's right over there." The controller pointed to the container ship behind her. "Dr. Viraat's been fixing it up for you!"

Musashi broke in the conversation. "They got the GPS working again. Just a few minutes and I need to get her on the plane to Australia."

"Right. We won't be too long," Wellington told him. "Lusty, would you like to see your EVA?"

The girl's eyes lit up. "Of course!"

They both walked over to the container ship and once out of Musashi's earshot Mari spoke to her superior in whispered tones. "Quite a story he's got there! Second Impact was caused by some sort of conspiracy behind the UN?"

"I found the whole thing a big outrageous myself, until I saw the evidence." The Maori officer confided. "Now we've got to stop this before they boil the whole planet over."

"How does my EVA work into this?"  
"Right now all the Alliance has is just regular military hardware. With an EVA or two it evens the odds a bit."

"Against what?" Mari asked.

"SEELE's been working on their own Evangelion units, called Mass Production Series. Fighting them is just like fighting Angels, only EVAs are fit for the job."

"What about NERV?"

"They've lost two of their five units, and the pilot for one more's gone down. At the rate they're going there won't be much of NERV left. You might be the only hope we have of stopping this."

Mari stopped in her tracks as they approached the ship, a worried look on her face. "Wellie, do you trust these people?"  
Wellington shrugged. "Not quite, but it's better than being killed by the other side." The officer narrowed her glance at the pilot. "Besides, do you want your chance to pilot this thing?"

"Oh, God yes!"

"Then play along. This might be the best opportunity you get." They both went up the gangway and up several flights of steps on the ship, and then arrived at the top level. Strapped down to the hull was a large green monstrosity with dozens of technicians welding and wiring. Walking among them was a short older man with oversized glasses wearing a white parka who appeared to be of South Asian decent. He was busy pointing out different tasks to the technicians until he saw the two girls and then walked over to them.

"Hello, Dr. Viraat," Mari called out. "You're part of this, too?"

Dr. Raj Viraat, former scientific director of NERV UK, shivered in the cold. "Regrettably yes. If I had known I'd have to work in freezing conditions I'd just done myself in ahead of time."

Wellington ignored the scientist's carping. "When will she be ready?"  
"Working on this full steam, I'd say at least another two weeks. I've had to scrounge up odd bits of hardware to get it complete, so don't be surprised if it's not so…presentable."

"I don't care as long as she will go!" Mari exclaimed.

"That's the spirit, child!" the scientist replied. He then turned around and started walking around the EVA again, checking each technician as they worked. The two girls watched them for a bit and then made their way down the steps again.

"Are you going to Australia, too?" Mari asked the officer.

"No. Someone's got to stay behind and make sure things work out all right."  
"Then I don't want to go down there," Mari pleaded. "Not if you're here! Not if EVAs here!"

"I know it, but this is a big operation and they need the pilot down there with the rest of them to plan it all out. General Sheffield's part of this, too. If _he's_ there, then I trust them just enough. Besides," Wellington smiled, "I hear there might be other EVAs involved. You might finally meet another pilot or two."

"That's hardly reason to go," Mari pouted. The Maori officer held her by the shoulders and looked at her. "Look, the hopes of all of my family, all of my people, are riding on you. I know you won't disappoint."  
Mari looked at her with a sheepish expression. "I know." They both smiled at each other for a moment, then Wellington handed her the duffel bag she was carrying. "Right, off you go then. There's clothes in there that will do for Oz, and the plane's got its own shower. So have yourself a nice flight and I'll see you soon!"

* * *

_Nevada_

What was once known as NERV Second Branch was now a gigantic crater over 170 kilometers in diameter, stretching from central Nevada to the edge of the deserted city of Las Vegas. Within the area where Unit 04's energy field had extended during the incident two months earlier not only did every form of life disappear, but so did every natural feature: mountains, valleys, dry river beds, and high desert plateaus. Now there was only flat rock: smooth as glass and completely featureless.

Fears about high residual radiation had kept NERV from all but the most rudimentary investigations. One expedition carried out several days later with drones only revealed a still hot-core at the center of the energy field that melted the drone's steel exterior. NERV had not followed up the investigation much further, as their attention and resources were diverted by an increasingly desperate fight against the Angels. With the US Government's termination of their side of the EVA program and the UN already stretched worldwide, the crater that was once NERV-2 was now only barely monitored.

However, after two months from the incident the radiation from the energy wave had nearly completely dissipated, enough so that the Alliance decided to see just what was now there at the epicenter of the crater.

It was there at the center that teams of Alliance soldiers were secretly posted and ordered to quietly observe if any activity occurred at the site. No one in the teams would speculate on what the Alliance leadership was expecting, but the word among most of the soldiers there was that they were trying to locate EVA-04 and then use it in some way.

The current team had been there for five days now and had not seen any sign of life or activity at the epicenter. Colonel Burke, an ex-UN (and previously ex-US Special Forces) officer, mulled to himself that this was probably the most colossal waste of time he'd ever been a part of. Nonetheless being a good solider, Colonel Burke performed his mission and spent most of the time catching up on his reading.

"Jeff, get me my other book bag, would you?" he motioned to his radio specialist. The specialist, dark-skinned like Col. Burke, handed him a large desert camouflage rucksack. Col Burke reached out and grabbed a set of comic books and started to read again with relish.

"Sir, think that anything will happen?" the specialist asked.

"Don't know, son. Best to be prepared for anything, I suppose."

"They think that it will return to the scene of the crime?" Jeff asked the colonel.

"Hell," the colonel responded, "They probably think the whole base will just reappear." The colonel had just leaned back against the far end of the large foxhole that they had dug and opened up his next book when a glint of metal in the distance outside the camouflage netting caught his eye.

"What was that?" he said to himself as he reached for this binoculars and his radio man reach for his own pair. Both of them looked at the middle of the epicenter and noticed a tall, silver and white humanoid figure just standing there in the desert. There was no noise or flash, it had just silently appeared. They looked at each other once, looked again through the binoculars and then they both said in unison "Holy shit!"

"Is that what they're looking for, sir?" Jeff asked the colonel.

"It very well may be," he replied as radio chatter began to increase when others in the team saw the white monster in the distance and started to report in. Col Burke briefly listened to the other reports and then started issuing orders from the radio. "Get the drone out there first. Let's be sure this isn't some sort of elaborate trick."

A minute later a small tan-painted hover drone glided across the crater floor and over to the humanoid figure. The drone hovered around the feet of the silver beast and then flew up over a hundred feet to the shoulders, probing around as it went. Col. Burke watched through a monitor connected to a camera mounted on the drone.

On the side of the right shoulder was a large symbol painted into the EVA that said "EVA-04: Combat Type" in English. Right next to the symbol was a very small American flag. Normally it was against NERV policy to have any type of nationalistic symbols on its units but some technicians had put it there anyway, a fact known only to a very few. To the colonel, seeing the small flag was enough to verify that what they had in front of them was truly the lost EVA.

"I'll be damned," he whispered. "Jeff, get me on satellite, now!" The radio specialist handed Col. Burke the satellite radio. "OLYMPUS, this is APOLLO."

"OLYMPUS here. Go APOLLO."  
"WEDDING PRESENT is back in stock. Repeat, WEDDING PRESENT is back in stock."

After a pause another voice came on the radio. "APOLLO, this is ZEUS. Anyone else in the store?"

"Negative, ZEUS."

"Then go get it and bring it home."

"Roger that, ZEUS."

With that he gave the satellite radio back to the operator and threw open the camouflage netting over their entrenchment. Col. Burke made an arm motion and the rest of the scout team came out of their foxholes at once and started running towards the EVA in the desert heat.

Within moments the team of two dozen men had surrounded the EVA. Some were climbing on top of it with cables to tie on. Others were running on the crater floor and placing down runway beacons. Still others were running sensors or other devices and the rest were watching the skies and ground around them, with weapons pointed outwards in case any uninvited guests appeared.

The scout team was lucky however, as the UN and NERV were apparently too bothered to check the site for activity. Within thirty minutes a flight of three large transport aircraft: two C-130 Hercules and a giant modified C-5 Galaxy, landed on the smooth crater floor and more soldiers and equipment disembarked. In another thirty minutes they had carefully lowered the EVA and rolled it inside the C-5. Once the Evangelion unit was packed inside all three aircraft loaded the remaining equipment and all of the personnel and promptly took off, the C-5 needing over a mile of runway to get airborne with its uniquely heavy cargo. Within seventy-five minutes of its reappearance, Evangelion Unit 04 had already fallen into the hands of the Alliance.


	4. Chapter 3

_35,000 ft. above the Indian Ocean_

Once on board the aircraft Mari promptly took a shower in a spacious private suite in the back of the fuselage and then plopped on a bed and fell asleep. She woke up some 12 hours later, as their Gulfstream jet passed the Indian Ocean on the way to Australia. Mari opened the luggage Wellington gave her and slipped on a khaki-colored blouse and matching mini-skirt. She then donned slippers and walked out of the suite and into the main cabin of the aircraft.

Sitting alone in the main cabin was Musashi, who was on the phone. Mari grabbed a water bottle from a small kitchenette and noticed that there was toast and juice on the table. She took some of each and then sat down on the same table where Musashi was sitting, waiting for him to finish his call. After a few minutes he hung up the phone.

"Good morning" he said in Japanese.

"Good morning" she replied, munching on her toast.

"Feeling better after a good night sleep?"

Mari motioned to the airplane. "I'll say. If I'd know the Alliance had digs like this I'd joined earlier!"

"I understand this aircraft was 'liberated' from a top UN official," the Japanese man told her as he stood up and walked to the kitchenette.

Mari gulped down her juice. "I could certainly see how he'd miss it."

Musashi watched Mari finish her breakfast. "What do you know about EVA 04?"

The pilot raised her eyebrows at that. "Not much, really. According to Wellie '04 is one the units the Yanks built. A couple of months ago they tried to hot-wire in an Angel S2 engine and run it and it went all bonkers on them, took out most of Nevada in the process." Mari finished her orange juice. "Did I leave out anything?"

"Quite a lot," Musashi replied as he returned to the table with a teapot and two cups. "The original NERV plan for EVA 03 and 04 was that the Americans would build them, then once pilots were found they would both move to Japan for operations against the Angels. Last September the American NERV branches revealed that they had found their own pilots for each of their units and were conducting secret training operations on both of them, which came as quite a surprise for NERV."

"They hid training on two EVA units without Tokyo-3 finding out?" Mari asked.

Musashi poured the tea and gave Mari a cup. "For several months in fact. Something which could not have been done without considerable assistance we believe from SEELE."

"I see. What happened when NERV found out?"

"They sent one of their top officers to observe both units and it was clear the Americans were not bluffing and in fact had mastered their side of the program. Then the Americans called for a training session between American and Japanese branches. Given the challenge naturally NERV's commander couldn't refuse. So then NERV-2 sent both EVA03 and 04 to Japan for what was billed as a joint training exercise."

"Who won?" Mari asked.

"What's important is not who won. What's important that the operation was a cover by members of NERV-2 that had found out about the UN's Instrumentality plan and were working to stop it."

"Oh, my. So what happened.?"

"This covert group had made an arrangement with NERV-2's scientific director, Dr. Harrison Forrestal. They would provide their own pilot candidate and Dr. Forrestal would give him the capability to pilot the EVA. The group would, in turn, use the training mission in Japan to both steal one of the EVAs and also an S2 engine that NERV had recently salvaged from the Angels. Once they had both they would put them together and then confront NERV and the UN at a later time. "

"I never heard about this. Did it work?"

"Unfortunately Dr. Forrestal had neglected to mention that the serum he created had severe side effects and eventually led to the death of the pilot during the actual theft attempt. Dr. Forrestal promptly reported the rest of the plot to the UN, claiming that his research was stolen by the others. The UN attempted to hunt down the rest of the group while Forrestal was promoted to head of Second Branch and given the S2 engine to test himself on Unit 04. You know the rest."

"How dreadful," Mari said. "Wasn't Unit 03 eventually sent to Japan?"

"Whereupon which it was possessed by another Angel during activation with a new pilot and had to be destroyed."

Mari leaned her chin on her right hand. "What about the original pilots?"

"It was the first pilot of Unit 03 that died from Forrestal's control serum. Unit 04 was piloted by a set of twins, who were in fact Dr. Forrestal's own children."

"Twins? Fascinating! Did they pilot it together?"

"No. They had kept one of them hidden while the other, a girl, originally piloted Unit 04. When she had an accident during a sync test they brought in the other one, a boy. It was the boy who traveled to Japan for the training session."

"So Forrestal had his own pilot as well."

"Correct, though the fatal S2 test was conducted with a dummy plug, not an actual pilot."

"Whatever happened to the pilots?"

"Their whereabouts are unknown, but it's assumed they disappeared along with the rest of NERV-2."

"Wow," Mari sighed, finishing her tea. "That's quite an epic, with a bad ending at that."

"Hasn't ended yet," Musashi told her as he poured her another cup of tea.

"How's that?"

"The name of the first pilot of EVA-03, the one who died, was Vance Vinson. He was the 14-year old son of Admiral William Vinson, the former head of NERV-2 security and," Musashi looked straight at her "currently military head of the Alliance."

Mari's eyes went wide. "Oh," she said. "And this chap is also the one who tried to steal the EVA and S2 from before?"

"And the one who's also organizing the current endeavor," Musashi answered, pausing to let that sink in. Mari now realized just what sort of operation she had fallen into. "Anything else?" she looked at Musashi sheepishly.

"Yes. I was on the satellite phone to Alliance operations. They've just found EVA-04."

* * *

_Australia_

The Gulfstream landed on one of the now busy runways at Alice Springs. Formerly a civilian airport capable of taking 747s loaded with tourists, Alice Springs was now home to an increasing large inventory of combat aircraft of all types, including fighters, bombers, transports, tankers and support types. Many had UN markings that were now being painted over by the ground crews.

Their Gulfstream taxied over to a separate area and the doorway opened. Both Musashi and Mari walked down the ramp to several waiting men.

"Hello, Sir John!" Mari called out to the British commander.

"Hello, Miss Illustrious!" General Sir John Sheffield, former head of NERV UK, answered. "How was your flight?"

"Splendid, thank you." She looked around and saw the multitude of warplanes. "Quite a show here, eh?"

"There's quite a lot going on and much more to show you. Please come with me and I'll give you a grand tour." Mari nodded and looked at her companion for the last 24 hours. "Thank you again, Musashi." She bowed to him courteously and the Japanese man bowed slightly in return. She waived bye to Musashi and the others as she then boarded the General's Land Rover and they sped off. Musashi watched her leave along with the other commander who was present.

"How much did you tell her?" Admiral Vinson asked.

"As much as she needed to know," Musashi replied, taking out a cigarette and lighting it.

"Will she pilot?" the Admiral asked him. Musashi took a drag and looked in the distance a bit. "She doesn't trust us quite yet, on the one hand. On the other, there's the presence of three of the major personalities in NERV UK within the Alliance and she does trust them. She's also quite anxious to prove herself as a pilot. As long as you don't ask anything unreasonable I think it wouldn't take too much."

"Such as?"

"Such as asking her to fight and kill other EVA pilots like herself," Musashi replied and finished his cigarette, looking directly at the Admiral.

"The circumstances of the previous attempt at this couldn't be helped," Vinson defended. "Vance had a tough call and made it the way he thought he needed to."

"I think I made my own conditions for cooperation clear as well, Admiral" Musashi said, lighting another cigarette.

"Quite a demand for someone who was on the razor's edge of life," Vinson said to him. He narrowed his eyes at the agent. "You don't seem to show appreciation for us getting you out of your predicament. We could have just left you there for the dogs to eat up."

Musashi just kept smoking, careful not to blow smoke at the Admiral's face. "Your efforts to extract me are of course greatly appreciated, and I think I've provided enough information to substantially heighten your chances of success now. "

"Then what's your issue?"  
The agent finished his second cigarette. "The Evangelion project seems to have a way of destroying or corrupting everyone who touches it. Should you succeed, you're going to have more power in your hands than any man has any right to. "

"Mr…" the Admiral almost called him by name, then dialed back a bit. Using Musashi's code name was one of his several conditions of employment. "Musashi, I already lost my son to this thing. I don't want to see it go on any more than any of you. Unfortunately to win this we are going to have to use the Devil's own methods." Admiral Vinson looked in the foreground and saw the giant C5 landing on the airfield, Musashi turning around and also watching as it approached. As soon as it landed, a swarm of ground crew ran out and opened the doors, easing out its special cargo. "Better call Dr. Foch," the Admiral said. "It's time he earned his keep here."

Other than the Evangelion unit lying on the ground next to him Dr. Bernard Foch was the only survivor of NERV-2. Originally hailing from France, Bernard Foch was a well-renowned expert in genetics and cloning, especially the theory of human cloning. Like many he suffered personal loss during Second Impact and volunteered his services to NERV in order to prevent what he thought would be a greater tragedy.

Provided with equal parts brilliance and resolve, Foch worked his way up the organization and eventually landed the position of Vice Scientific Director of NERV Second Branch in Nevada. There he came into almost continual conflict with Dr. Forrestal. Foch loathed Forrestal, considering him both a poor scientist and overly ambitious, and Foch had serious doubts about the validity of some of Forrestal's achievements. Forrestal for his part hated Foch's blunt honesty but needed him as it was much of the scientist's own work that made the secret EVA accelerated program a success.

When Dr. Forrestal became NERV-2 commander, he promptly ejected Dr. Foch from his position and had his security men march him off the base onto a waiting aircraft. Six hours later as Bernard Foch landed safely in Boston, NERV Second Branch disappeared from the face of the Earth. After another six hours and a bottle of Dom Perigion '51 later, Dr. Foch contacted an acquaintance who then put him in touch with the Alliance and he found himself again on a plane shortly thereafter, this time to Australia.

Dr. Foch walked along the length of the silver-white EVA, which was lying prone on a runway next to the parked C-5 transport. "Well old girl, what sort of stories can you tell us?" he said as he felt along the leg of the unit. "She's warm," he told an female assistant walking next to him. "Do we have the field kit ready?" The assistant nodded and she motioned to two technicians who were carrying a heavy rectangular box. The two men set down the large box and Foch opened up the top, which was printed "EVA-03 EXPEDITIONARY DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM – PROPERTY OF NERV." He switched on the unit and pulled out two large cables that he gave to the two male assistants, pointing out the input ports on the EVA for the device. Foch waited for them to plug in the cables and then using a terminal that he pulled out of the box he went to work on the diagnostics of the unit.

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Shinji stood in front of Asuka's door and read the sign that was hastily taped to it. "ENTER AND DIE!" was written in German and Japanese and from the jagged way the note was put together, it was a credible threat.

She had taped the note there the day earlier, slamming the door shut behind her. Already under massive stress from successive defeats and her sinking sync rate with her EVA, the 15th Angel had been overwhelming for her and Asuka had withdrawn from everyone as a result.

Since she came home after the last Angel, Shinji had only seen Asuka once as she bolted outside her room to get something to drink out of the refrigerator. When he had seen her, she was on her cell phone trying to get a hold of Kaji. Shinji still didn't have the heart to tell her he was (probably) dead.

He knocked on the door and waited, holding a small plate in his hand. Not hearing anything he tried again after couple of minutes, softly asking if she was in.

"Asuka? Asuka? Are you..."

The door slid open violently. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" she screamed.

Shinji shook as he tried to speak. "Uhh...I just wanted to see if you're okay!"

"I'M FINE NO THANKS TO YOU!" she shouted. Asuka looked at the plate he was holding. On top of it was a slice of chocolate cake.

"Did you want something to eat?" Shinji asked her quietly.

The redhead jerked and pushed the plate back on Shinji, the cake falling down to the floor. "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, MAKE ME FAT! IF I WANT ANYTHING FROM YOU I'LL TELL YOU! IDIOT!" She then slammed the door shut.

The boy tried to shake it off and picked up the cake from the floor, trying to get the crumbs off the old carpet. Pen Pen waddled close by and watched as he scooped up the pieces, giving a soft squawk.

_Jeez_, Shinji thought. _Old Asuka was bitchy enough, but this one is just insanely angry._

As Shinji walked back to the kitchen with the destroyed cake the door to Asuka's room slid open again and she hurried out, a small bag over her shoulder. Shinji turned around to see her go out the front door.

"Where...where are you going?" he asked her.

"OUT!"

* * *

Shinji Ikari followed Rei as she led him through a series of isolated passages through the Geo Front She had called him an hour earlier on his mobile phone and asked to meet her at the EVA pilot's ready room. Shinji was quite surprised as it was the first time Rei had ever called him on his cell phone for any reason. Dutifully he had met her in front of the pilot ready room and without saying a word to him she proceeded to walk straight across the Geo Front with him in tow. Now after about thirty minutes of going through innumerable passageways, they both walked up a series of stairs to the spacious interior chamber of the underground facility.

At the top of the stairs was the entrance to a magnificently appointed garden. Stretched in front of them were rows of flower beds with roses, lilies, and other plants, separated by Greek-style colonnades of white marble. Water bubbled gently from several fountains spaced throughout the garden. Several large trees of various types provided shade from the artificial sunlight in the Geo Front In the center was a large marble dome propped up with columns that were about five meters high, and in front of the dome was a reflecting pool ten meters long with red and white colored flowers floating on the surface of the water.

Shinji took a deep breath as he felt his hair blown by a gentle breeze. To him, the garden seemed so out of place in the Geo Front, with its gentle and delicate nature in contrast to the massive buildings and structure of the facility. He also noticed that Rei and himself were the only ones there. Everyone else was seemingly too busy to notice the place, and whether that was by design or accident he wasn't sure.

"Wow. This place is beautiful!" Shinji said to Rei. "You'd never even know it was here."  
"I did not find it until very recently," she replied. "It does not seem to have any purpose, other than just to be here."

Shinji looked around the garden as Rei walked towards the reflecting pool. "I wonder if anyone else knows about this?" he said as she sat down at the marble edge of the pool and gently moved her hand through the water. They were both quiet for a while as Shinji sat next to her and watched her gently play with the water.

Still not looking up at him, Rei asked him "How is the Second Child?"

"Um, not really good. After the battle with the Angel she doesn't talk to anyone anymore. She just stays in her room. I'm worried about her, really."

Rei continued to move her hand through the water, making small waves and watching the patters they made. "Her and her EVA have closed their hearts to each other and to everyone else. They will be unable to recover until they have the strength to open them again."

"So I guess she won't be piloting for a while, then." Shinji worriedly ran his fingers through his hair. "Ayanami, that makes it really difficult on you! If Father still keeps me and my EVA on hold only you will be left to fight the next Angel!"

Rei said nothing for a while but just sat there, looking at the pool as Shinji watched her. She then removed her hand from the water. "Ikari-kun?"  
"Yes?"  
She turned to face him. "Who am I?"

"What do you mean, who? You're Rei Ayanami, of course! Who else would you be?"  
Rei cast her gaze at the pool again as she spoke in a sad tone of voice. "I do not know anymore."

"Ayanami, don't say things like that!," Shinji said. "You're Ayanami! You would never be anyone else to me."

Again she was silent for a while, but Shinji sensed the quiet girl in front of him was building up to something. He waited patiently until she spoke again and this time her voice began to show just a hint of emotion.

"Up until now I have never really been afraid before. Sometimes I was scared for a moment, but then I would think of him...of the Commander. But now I am afraid."

"I'm scared too," he replied, trying to comfort her. "So many bad things have happened already. Toji, Kaji, Asuka. I'm so afraid something else bad will happen!"  
"Nothing will happen to you. Your EVA, she will protect you always."

"And what about you, Ayanami? I don't want to lose you, too!"  
Rei turned away from him. "It will not matter what happens to me. I will just be replaced."

"Please don't say things like that! If I lost you I'd...I'd..." Shinji tried to finish the sentence but couldn't as he watched Rei just stare at her reflection in the pool. He sighed and looked at his own reflection through ripples of water. "I guess we probably shouldn't be saying stuff like this to each other. It'll only make us feel worse."

Shinji moved closer to where Rei was sitting by the poolside, almost touching her now. "Ayanami, whatever happens...please have hope for yourself, because..." He looked right at her now, smiling weakly. "Because I'd really like to see you grow up someday."

Once Rei heard that she allowed her self the smallest of smiles, and she turned her head to face Shinji. Her eyes were just a little bit brighter, her face more relaxed.

"Ikari-kun, can I ask you a favor?"  
"Anything!"  
Her smiled widened. "May I hold your hand?"

Shinji broadly smiled back at her. "Sure."


	5. Chapter 4

_Australia_

Admiral Vinson was in his office at the Pine Gap command complex, sipping on coffee and reading over a variety of reports. Without knocking on the door his British counterpart walked in.

"Well, Johnny?"

"She'll go," the general said, referring to Mari. "She's ruddy anxious to pilot, that girl is."

"Good. Did you hear what just happened in Japan?" Sheffield shook his head. "Lost another one today," Vinson told him and handed him an LCD tablet display.

The British commander studied the display, playing back the footage taken by the Alliance's agent inside Tokyo-3 as well as a number of other reports. "Did it self-destruct?" he asked Vinson.

"Looks that way," the admiral said. "They're down to two units and only one pilot."

"And if you believe Musashi there's but one Angel left," added Sheffield. "Things could come to a head quite fast."

"We need to see if we can get Unit 04 going for us. Hopefully Dr. Foch can get its Dummy Plug to function properly."

General Sheffield handed back the LCD tablet back to the Admiral. "A pity we don't have our own pilot to run it."

Vinson sighed deeply. The death of his son was an open wound, one he knew would not heal. No one around him talked about it except for Sir John, whose friendship with Vinson went back thirty years. "I should have been there, Johnny. It might have turned out differently if I had gone."

"If you had gone we would have lost both of you, and that was a loss we could not have afforded. You can't blame yourself. You were once a special operator, you know that."

"It's different when it's your own flesh and blood, especially so young," Vinson replied remorsefully.

Sheffield took a sip from his own teacup which he had brought in with him. "You were set up from the beginning. Considering the circumstances it's beyond luck you're still alive."

"But at a price," Vinson replied.

"Agreed. Doing all this won't get them back," Sir John said calmly.

Vinson put down his coffee. "I know it better than anyone. But I still think Vance would be alive if it hadn't been for that damned Forrestal kid." The communicator on Vinson's desk buzzed and he read the incoming ID and picked it up. "That's Foch. Hopefully he's got good news for us." He spoke into the communicator. "Doctor, what's our situation?"

As Dr. Foch spoke into his own communicator, Musashi ran over to the group and then read the display on the diagnostic unit. What he saw gave him a great deal of concern. Musashi took a deep breath and listened in as the scientist spoke to Vinson.

"I ran a brief diagnostic on Unit 04. Given the equipment I have to work with, I can't provide too much detail but I can give you a good summary of the EVA's condition."

"Is it employable to us?" Vinson asked, somewhat impatient.

"Perhaps, but I'll explain it. The good news is that the Super Solenoid power source is installed and working perfectly. The EVA has a functional perpetual power source and I don't see anything that's structurally wrong with it at this point."

Vinson and Sheffield were relieved. "Excellent," Vinson called out. "That's good news." Indeed it was, as having the S2 engine would allow the Evangelion full range of movement and unlimited operations. Unit 04 was freed from the need to employ power cables or rely on internal battery power that lasted no longer than five minutes. Considering that their plan rested on transporting the Evangelion several thousand miles with them in their assault, enabling the EVA to be completely self-contained and continually active gave them a definite advantage in combat.

"What about the dummy plug?" asked General Sheffield.

Foch paused for a moment as he looked at Musashi, who gave him a stern look. "That's just it. There isn't one."

Both of the commanders reacted in disbelief. "What?" Admiral Vinson said. "NERV's own report says the test was conducted with a dummy plug."

"It's not a dummy plug. There's an actual pilot in there," Foch calmly replied.

"Then why haven't they done anything?" Vinson asked.

Musashi then picked up the communicator from Foch. "There's been no communication or activity because the pilot has achieved a 400% sync with the EVA." Sheffield raised his eyebrows high as Vinson just sat there in his chair trying to think. "What the hell does that mean?"

Foch grabbed the communicator back from Musashi. "It means that the pilot's physical essence has been broken down and has…homogenized with the LCL inside the entry plug into something resembling amniotic fluid."

Sheffield crossed his arms. "Do you mean that the pilot has become _liquid_?"

"Precisely," Foch said.

"So then he's dead," said Vinson.

"Not quite. There is a massive stream of activity between the entry plug and the EVA itself, indicating that the pilot's essence is interfacing with the EVA."

"How is he able to 'interface' if he doesn't have a body?" Vinson demanded.

Foch struggled to be patient with his military benefactors. "You have to understand that when it comes to Evangelion, conventional definitions of life and death go right out the window. EVA works on its own paradigm. For whatever reason, if it was initiated by the pilot or the EVA itself we don't know, the pilot's soul is blended with the EVA itself."

Rather than overreact both of the commanders took a moment to contemplate the meaning of all of this. Sheffield then said "would it be possible to eject the entry plug and replace it with another?"

Foch sighed. "I did signal an eject to the EVA after I discovered this. The EVA refused the order. I'd say that it's protecting the pilot. It may have been the only way to survive the Sea of Dirac that encompassed Second Branch."

Admiral Vinson folded his hands in front of him and stared into his computer display. _This certainly complicates matters, especially if the pilot is…"_Any way to tell who the pilot is as this point?" He asked Foch.

"Negative. There's no way to identify the pilot and the pilot ID data file in the EVA's diagnostics are corrupted, perhaps intentionally."

Vinson sighed. "Doctor, we need to recover this thing if possible. What's your suggested course of action?"

Dr. Foch turned to Musashi and let him have the communicator again. "Admiral, this has occurred before with Unit 01 and the pilot was still able to be recovered. I have data on that experience and will forward it to Dr. Foch. If he's as good as he says he is, he should be able to duplicate the process." Musashi smirked at the scientist, who scowled at him.

"Get it done. We may only have a few days to put all this together," Vinson ordered and then hung up the communicator.

"I'll get the data I have to you within the hour," Musashi said to Foch. "You realize though that even with the full resources of NERV at their disposal it took the Japanese over a month to recover their pilot. "

Foch scoffed at that. "Surprising, considering that the probable reasons are quite obvious."

"What do you mean?"  
"The pilot just doesn't want to come out!" Foch said.

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

That evening Shinji and Misato returned to their apartment in Misato's car. Neither one of them spoke a word on the way back from NERV. Once Shinji entered the apartment he went straight for his bedroom and closed the door, while Misato went for a bottle of saki in the kitchen and just sat there for a while and drank. Asuka had still not returned after several days and her door remained left open.

Misato left the boy alone for a few hours and then around midnight she knocked on his door. There was no response from the darkened room. Trying to sound warm she said "Shinji-kun, I'm coming in," and then gently slid open the door.

Shinji was lying there on his bed without moving, his SDAT player was the only thing making any kind of motion or noise. Misato came and sat on the bed next to him and noticed that his eyes were still wide open, staring listlessly at the ceiling.

"Misato-san, the tears just won't come," he told her, his voice wavering as he thought of Rei. "I'm so sad. I want to cry but I just can't do it."

Misato searched her feelings for what she should do. She felt bad for it, but she knew there was one way that might comfort them both. Perhaps at this low point she thought he might be open to it.

"Shinji-kun, all I can do for you is this." She gently moved her hand to his and caressed it.

Shinji quickly pulled his hand back in revulsion and rolled on the bed facing away from Misato. "_Dame yo!_ No, Misato-san!"

Misato just sat there on the bed as Shinji's whole body began to shake with emotion. "I'm sorry, then." She stood up and walked out of the room, leaving the boy alone.


	6. Chapter 5

_Australia_

"Dr. Foch, are you sure you're okay?" his assistant Beatrix asked him. Dr. Foch had just fallen asleep again in front of the EVA's diagnostic station. He had worked tirelessly for the last seventy-two hours directing technicians as well as doing his own programming, in his effort to free the pilot from the entry plug.

"I'm all right, dear," he said, annoyed as he shook himself awake.

"I've got some tea here," Beatrix gave him a cup and plopped in five sugars, his preferred measure. "The command staff is on their way here now."

"Did you tell them we're ready?"

"Yes."

"Well, by all means, let's not disappoint." Foch lifted himself out of the chair and cleaned his glasses.

Walking up to where Dr. Foch and his assistants were working were Admiral Vinson and General Sheffield, followed by several others that were senior Alliance commanders. Following them were Musashi, the Japanese "Technical expert," and Mary Illustrious.

"Well, Doctor Foch. Are you ready?" Admiral Vinson asked.

"We are. Gentlemen, lady (he smiled at Mary), please have a seat." Everyone did so at a platform that was several meters from the Evangelion.

Evangelion Unit 04 was now lying face down. It had been moved that way by two giant cranes that were left in Alice Springs many years ago and refurbished by the Alliance for the purpose of maneuvering the EVA. One of the two cranes was now poised above EVA-04, in a position to harness the entry plug if and when it ejected.

"Sirs, allow me to briefly explain what we're about to do," Foch stood in front of the control unit. "What's happened is that the pilot within Unit 04's entry plug has been placed in a state of virtual limbo, his body absorbed directly into the plug's own LCL by the breakdown of his physical state that is the result of a very high synchronization with the Evangelion itself. How this came about we can't speculate on, but what we do know is that the pilot will continue within this state until we provide an adequate stimulus to force him out of the trance."

"To maintain the connection between EVA and pilot the EVA itself is generating a high-volume stimulus with what exists of the pilot's consciousness. That stimulus is holding the pilot's mind in a sort of stasis and from earlier experiences with the EVA in Japan we can also concur that the stimulus is something that the pilot would find some deep familiarity or comfort in. "

"So it's like a never-ending dream, then?" Mary asked.

"Yes, my dear, quite right," Foch answered. "Now the Japanese created a rather elaborate mental diffusion cycle program that took them a month to assemble and implement, in order to contact and free the pilot. We certainly don't have that sort of time here," Foch nodded to the commanders, "but we have the benefit of hindsight and we can study the earlier attempts and try to develop the best angle for approaching this."

Foch turned his attention to Unit 04 behind him. "To the matter at hand. To force the pilot out, we are going to induce a signal that will carry a series of images that will be directly injected into the pilot's conscious thought array. That should trigger the pilot to remove himself from the loop that the EVA's put him in and disrupt the sync, dramatically lowering it and recompiling his physical body in the process if all goes well. To do that, we'll need an image that the pilot would recognize and, given the exceedingly high sync rate with the EVA, I believe the identity of the pilot is very definitely either one of the two Forrestal children. It's highly unlikely any candidate using Dr. Forrestal's neural control serum would be able to do this. So the image used will be someone familiar to either pilot, and with deep apologies to the Admiral, there's only one real image to use." Dr. Foch meant Vance Vinson, of course.

"Do what you have to," said the Admiral sternly.

"Right. We don't have time to concoct some sort of logic-wrapping program like the Japanese did. Our signal will be much more basic in structure. But it will play on the pilot's own impressions and should be mentally shocking to an extent that the pilot would snap out of any loop the EVA's placed them in. "

Foch worked the console as he explained further. "Let me give you an example: as a young boy I once had a series of dreams where I imagined I was being chased by a marching army down a road. I didn't remember much about my surroundings, but I could hear the footsteps of the army following me clearly, bam-bam-bam. I ran as fast as I could but I couldn't put any distance between me and that army that was following me. I had the same dream for several nights and each night it became more terrifying, as the army was closing in on me faster each time, until I dreamed that they did catch up to me and trampled me under their boots. As I suddenly woke up I realized that I had been sleeping with my ear to the pillow. The sounds of the footsteps that were chasing me were in fact the sounds of my own heartbeat echoing from the pillow. Every night as I became more scared my heart would go faster and the sound of the footsteps would also be quicker. The already existing fears I had as a child of being trampled provided the mind with the subject matter of that encompassing nightmare. So in conclusion the power of suggestion is a powerful thing indeed, especially if you're in a dream-like state already." Foch sent the final signal to the EVA as he finished the explanation.

* * *

Patrick was lying down on a gently sloping hillside and enjoying the weather. It was a nice, warm day and the wind was just slightly breezy. In the distance he could see a river slowly snaking its way through the Japanese countryside and he listed as birds call each other while in flight. He wasn't alone on the hillside, as his head was cradled in the lap of another whose soft and delicate hands gently caressed his hair while he relaxed.

"It's such a nice day today," he said to the other.

"Yes, it is." she replied back in a whisper-like voice.

"Are the others coming?" he asked her.

"No. They went into town," she said. "We won't see them until tonight."

"So we can be alone then," he told her. She just smiled and looked at him through her bangs with deep red eyes.

"I really like spending time with you like this," he sighed. "I could stay here forever."

"I know." She gently patted him on the head. "But don't you ever want to go back someday?"

Patrick sighed. "Don't worry. I have no plans for leaving."

Patrick closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and just enjoyed the feeling he had right now. Since he had come to this place, he thought to himself that for perhaps the first time in his life he really had felt safe and comfortable. Admittedly he had very little memory of how he had gotten here or what he did while he was here, but he was happy nonetheless. Most importantly, she was there too.

He shifted his body a little as he felt the wind pick up slightly. Looking at the sky the boy noticed that there were more clouds than just a minute before. He thought that it might actually rain, something that hadn't happened since he had arrived.

"Do you notice it's getting colder?" he asked her. The girl didn't respond right away but stopped caressing his hair and started to look around. Her face changed expression as she sniffed the air and sensed something _was_ happening.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"Something is happening, something coming from outside," she said. She looked at the sky and saw the clouds forming and darkening. She heard footsteps in front of them and turned to see who it was, and then she gasped loudly.

"What is it?" Patrick asked, and then he too saw the boy and nearly screamed.

Standing in front of the two of them was Vance Vinson, the former pilot of Evangelion Unit 03. Vance was wearing his plug suit, black with red and gray stripes. He mostly looked like himself, tall and muscular, but a portion of his skull was missing. A large hole appeared in the right side of his head and oozed out blood and tissue that covered much of his face. Vance glared directly at the startled Patrick with an annoyed look on his face.

"Dude, you killed me for _this_?"

Patrick was too much in shock to say anything at first but backed up off the slope and stood up. Rei stood up as well, her face also in surprise at the living-dead boy standing there. Vance kept speaking to Patrick.

"I told you to keep out of the way," Vance said.

"I couldn't let you do it," Patrick replied. "That wasn't what we came there for."

"That wasn't what _you_ came there for," the pilot retorted. "But I came for that thing. She just got in the way."

Patrick noticed that the clouds were now very dark and it was starting to rain. He moved himself so he would be positioned between Vance and Rei, as she stood there and silently observed the increasingly hostile weather.

"Why didn't you tell me what you were doing?" Patrick demanded.

"I was trying to protect you, " Vance said. "You should have just kept out of it like I asked you to, not shoot me in the head!"  
Patrick clenched his fists. "But I couldn't let you kill her!" The rain began to fall harder, and he noticed that the rain had a red tint to it. The water pooling on the muddy slope looked red, too. "Well," Vance smiled, "I guess you know your priorities then, don't you? Good luck with her – if she's still around, that is."

"What do you mean?" Patrick asked.

Vance smiled at him. "You're not really here, dude! This is just a dream. Just ask her," Vance pointed to Rei.

Patrick turned around to look for Rei but instead saw another girl standing where she was before. The new girl was still wearing Rei's blue and white school jumper but it wasn't her. This girl was teenaged and Caucasian in appearance, with short blonde hair and glasses. The rain became heavier all around them as a red mist came out of the ground.

"Rei?" Patrick asked. The girl looked at him and silently shook her head. Patrick thought of his twin sister. "Erin?" he asked her again. The girl again shook her head and said to him "You know who I am." Patrick studied her in confusion.

'"This is what I looked like, when I was your age," the girl told him. One she said that Patrick realized just who it was that she meant. He just stood there in the torrent and looked at her for a moment, stunned.

"Why?" he finally asked.

The girl looked away. "Do you know what it's like to give up something you love? I could only keep one of you, and I thought you would be the stronger one."

"Dad said you didn't trust the others..."  
"Your father was the real reason why I gave you up!" she cried. "It's _him_ that I didn't trust!" She still looked away from him but Patrick stepped closer, still noticing that the figure of Vance was just standing and watching, barely visible to them in the red hue of the outpouring rain.

"I did all this," she motioned around them "so I could keep you safe with me inside...while I sent away the others."

"Sent away?"

"You asked me to stop him, so that's what I did," she said softly.

"What happened to him?"

"I put them all someplace far away...where they won't hurt anyone for a long while."

"What about Rei?" Patrick asked.

She turned her head away from him. "I knew you'd open your heart to her so I used her image to reach you. I'm sorry."

_Too many questions_, Patrick thought as his heart raced. The rain and wind was now becoming very strong, and he had a difficult time to stand on the muddy slope. He saw water race down the hillside to the river below.

"What's happening now?" he asked her, having to shout it over the howling wind.

"Someone wants you back," she shouted back, looking at him now with her emerald green eyes. "They sent Vance's image inside here to break the spell. Your mind's going back to reality now, I can't keep you here!"

"But I don't want to go back!" Patrick yelled.

"So you're just going to keep running away?" Vance said behind him. Patrick turned to look at him and then turned to the girl again. "I just want to be with you here!" he pleaded.

The girl hopped quickly to where Patrick stood on the hillside and took hold of his hand. For a short moment as she touched him the surrounding rain and wind seemed to quiet down around them and he felt as if time itself stopped.

She spoke to him with tears streaming down her cheeks mixed up with the red raindrops. "Go. Finish this." She then touched his cheek with her other hand. "I'll still be here for you. It'll be alright." Despite the tears in her eyes she smiled at him. For a brief moment he smiled back and reached to embrace her, but as soon as he wrapped his arms around her the ground below them gave way and he slid back into the hurricane, falling down the muddy slope into the now-red river. Patrick panicked and tried to jump out of the river but the water current moved too fast for him. He struggled to look at the hillside and saw the silhouette figures of the girl and Vance standing there and watching him, but he couldn't see their faces in the rain. Then the river overcame him and the last thing he could remember was the overwhelming smell of blood.

* * *

Outside the silver-colored EVA the observers looked in surprise as the entry plug pushed open. Technicians tried to hurriedly grab it with the crane but the plug rotated, the entry door opened up and LCL came gushing out. "Be careful!" Dr. Foch shouted other technicians who were running up to the EVA, "they might spill out!" Foch himself stepped down from his platform followed by Beatrix, and hobbled over to the EVA where the LCL was spilling out of the plug. By the time he got there he noticed that something else had indeed dropped out.

The others on the viewing platform had seen what happened too and stood up to get a better look. "Interesting," said Musashi calmly while Mary excitedly pointed out what she saw. "Look! A boy just dropped out of there!"

Admiral Vinson saw this as well as did the other commanders. "I'll be dammed," said Colonel Burke, his eyes wide open. Vinson said nothing but closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. The last person in the world he had wanted to see here was the one now sprawled on the ground next to Unit 04.

Dr. Foch arrived at where the boy was lying. He was unconscious and fully naked, his orange-colored plug suit washing up just next to him. A medic came next to him and with Dr. Foch's permission began to examine the new arrival. Dr. Foch just turned to the platform, put his hands in his coat pockets, smiled a little and said "_Voila!_"


	7. Chapter 6

When Patrick woke up the first sensation he had was that it was incredibly bright. He felt himself breathe and then noticed not only was it bright but it was hot as well. The boy looked around and saw himself in a hospital room, with bright light shining out of the windows. The room was quite plain, only white walls, ceiling, and a white tiled floor. There was an IV attached to his arm, a variety of medical sensors at the side of his bed, and only one chair. Sitting in the chair looking straight at him was a very pretty brown-haired teenage girl dressed in a khaki blouse and skirt, with her hair tied in twin tails and red-rimmed glasses framing brilliant blue eyes. She looked at him with a smile on her face.

Patrick was still disoriented from whatever it was that he had experienced earlier, he still wasn't sure what. He looked at the girl for a moment without saying anything.

"Hello," Mari said with her crisp English accent. Patrick didn't respond at first. "Welcome back!" the girl said to him.

"Where am I?" he replied groggily.

"You're in Oz," Mari told him.

"Oh. Where's the Wizard?" he asked her.

She chuckled a little. "Well, at least you've got a sense of humor. 'Oz' means _Australia_," she replied.

_What the hell am I doing _here_?_ "There's still something here?"

She briefly looked out the window. "As I understand it this place is the garden spot of Oz." Mari turned to him again. "You're Patrick Forrestal?"

"Who wants to know?"

"My name's Mari. Mari Illustrious Makinami"

"You're Japanese?" Patrick asked.

"Partly, on my mum's side. You're the first other EVA pilot I've met."

"Other pilot?"

"Yes. I'm a pilot as well. Mine's '05," she smiled proudly.

_Oh, no. Not this again_. "Where my EVA?" he asked her.

"Just out back," she motioned to the window. "You showed up just a few days ago."

"Here?"

"No. In Nevada. They pulled you right out before the UN could spot you."

Patrick tried to sit up in bed but his body refused to move. "What happened?"

"No one quite knows really. They've got lots of questions for you out there."

"Who's _they_? NERV?"

Mari thought a bit before answering. "Quite a lot's happened since you've been gone. Perhaps I should let the others explain a bit."

"I see." Patrick thought everything over for a moment, but he could feel his fists clenching from the anger that had begun to boil. To him something was not at all well. "Mari?" he said softly.  
"Yes?"

"Did you say you were a pilot?"

"Oh, yes. I've been in training for quite some time now, though sadly I've never actually gotten past the basics with the EVA. You know, syncs and harmonics, that sort of thing."

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Certainly," she smiled, wondering what this was about.

Patrick leaned as close to her as he could. "Where's your mother?"

Mari was forced aback the question. Normally she was very down-to-earth about a great many things, but the fate of her mother was one area where she was still very deeply unsettled. She laughed nervously. "What's that got to do with anything?"

The boy stared at her angrily, "I said, _where_ is your mother?"

Mari started to get out of the chair, "I rather don't like where this is going..." Patrick quickly grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her down to where his face was and shouted "I SAID _WHERE IS SHE_?"

The girl pilot decided that was enough and with a good shove pushed off his hand from her wrist. Before he could get out of the bed Mari jammed her left elbow straight into his nose. Patrick recoiled in pain and covered his nose with both hands, which he could see were dripping with bright red blood.

Mari then turned around for the door. "She's _dead_, if you must know!" She stopped for a moment and calmed herself down, then looked at him over her shoulder. "Right now the others in the next building think you could have murdered ten thousand people a couple of months ago. If you know what's good for you I suggest you not pull any crap like you did just now." In a huff she hurried out the door, telling the guards outside "He's up now, if you want him," and then stormed off. In the distance he could hear her curse "Bloody Yank!" as she marched off.

_Sorry, Mari, but at least now I know you're legit._ Patrick saw his hands covered in blood and put his head back against the pillow. A moment later two nurses dressed in blue and green camouflage uniforms attended to his new wound and got him into new clothes. After another physician looked him over and he changed the two uniformed guards walked him out of the building.

* * *

Patrick made no attempt to resist the guards, partly as we wasn't even sure where he was or what his options were now, so there was no point until he knew where he could even run to. He didn't recognize any of them as being from NERV-2 and if anything else they were much more polite than his father's men were.

The group walked across a pavement sprawl to a larger building about 300 meters away. Patrick looked around him and saw something large in the distance covered in tarps. Was that the EVA? All around him was activity, soldiers marching, military vehicles driving around and aircraft of all types flying overhead and parked and taxiing on a nearby runway. In the five minutes that they took to walk to the other building he recognized perhaps twenty different types of military aircraft from all over the world: American, European, Russian, and others. As they got closer to the larger building that was their destination he saw the flagpoles in front and noticed two flags were flying. One was the pre-Second Impact Australian flag but there was another one he did not immediately recognize: it was a white flag with a red-colored eagle on the front. When they came up to the building he had a closer look and noticed that the eagle on the white flag was not an eagle at all, but a phoenix instead.

In the other building the guards led him through a series of hallways and then through a set of double doors. A second set of guards very politely showed him into a room. Patrick looked around the room and saw that it was dimly lit, with just a chair standing in the middle.

_Oh, no, another cell! _ Before he could back out the two guards shoved him through the doorway and swung the door shut.

Patrick came back and banged on the door, as there was no handle to pull. "Hey, what the fuck is this? Let me the hell out of there!" After about two minutes of protesting to no response he knew he was stuck there. Dejectedly he walked around the cell. Along the walls there were two doors with no handles and a large mirror on one wall. The ceiling was high and smooth, and was installed with some recessed light fixtures and speakers. The lack of a bed and toilet in the room indicated to the boy that he wasn't going to stay here for long, which could be either good or bad depending on what his hosts had planned.

The large mirror was, of course, one-way glass. On the other side of it were Admiral Vinson, General Sheffield, Musashi, and another officer who was an intelligence specialist. Looking at the boy through the window Admiral Vinson noticed Patrick was sporting a new bandage over his nose. "What happened to his nose?" he asked the interrogation officer, who just shrugged and shook his head. The specialist turned down the lights in the room and spoke into a microphone.

"Please sit down," the interrogator spoke over a loudspeaker. Patrick looked up at the speaker on the ceiling but did nothing.

A spotlight shined on the single folding chair. "Son, we're not going to hurt you. Please sit down."

Patrick felt the need to show any degree of resistance possible, even something small. "No thanks. I'll stand," he said in the darkness.

The interrogator then moved the spotlight directly onto him, increasing the brightness until it nearly blinded him. As Patrick tried to block the light with his hands, the interrogator spoke again. "Let's not make this harsh, shall we? Please...sit...down..."

Patrick sighed and took a seat in the chair. The light reduced its intensity slightly once he sat down. The interrogator started again. "Please state your name."

"You know it already. That girl knew my name!" Patrick answered.

In the other room the interrogator clicked off the microphone and looked at the commanders. Both had resigned looks on their faces, as Mari had contacted Patrick without permission. The interrogator continued. "Your nose wasn't broken when you came out of the plug. What happened to it?"

"She did that!" Patrick replied.

Sir John and Musashi both smiled, curiously wondering what would provoke Mari to clock the boy. Sheffield then spoke in the microphone. "Mister Forrestal I understand your deep suspicions, but we're only after what happened. Let's get it all out of the way, shall we?"  
"Whatever!" Patrick shouted.

Sheffield then took over the interrogation. "For the record, state your full name please."

"Patrick Henry Forrestal."

"Date and Place of Birth?"

"August 9, 2001. Las Vegas, Nevada."

Sheffield nodded to Vinson, verifying it was true. "Father's name?"

"Dr. Harrison Forrestal, PhD," Patrick said with contempt. Musashi's eyebrows went up when he heard his tone of voice.

Sir John continued. "Mother's name?"

"Dr. Margaret Rickover Forrestal, PhD."

"What were you doing at NERV-2?"

"I was the pilot for Evangelion Unit 04."

"Were you the original pilot?"

"No."

"Who was the original pilot?"

Patrick paused for a bit and then said "Erin Forrestal."

"What happened on October 25th, 2015?"

"I don't know, I lost track of the dates."

"It was the day you disappeared."

Patrick was silent and Sheffield tried again. "What happened the day you disappeared?"

Patrick just sat there and breathed deeply. In his mind the memories of that day raced through over and over. To him the visions in his mind seemed so disconnected, like he was a bystander watching another teenage boy go through it all. He really didn't want to talk about this, but knew they wouldn't leave it alone and in a way he wanted to know what happened as well. He sat there breathing hard and tried to work up his strength.

"Patrick, please..."  
"I'm getting to it!" he yelled and then was silent as he tried to place it all together in his mind. "Dad put me in a cell after getting back from Tokyo-3. I was there for a long time. Then one day they knocked me out and put me in my plug suit. Next thing I knew I was being dragged over to the EVA."

"You weren't piloting voluntarily?" Sheffield asked.

"No." Vinson and Sheffield looked at each other at that remark.

"What happened next?"

"They...they bolted me in the EVA. I couldn't get out. Then they ran some sort of test on the unit. Once it reached sync threshold the EVA...um, she um...did something..."

"Like what?"  
"I don't know. All I remember is seeing her."

"The EVA?"  
"The ghost."

After hearing Patrick Sir John glanced at Musashi, who just stood and watched the boy through the glass. Vinson picked up his phone and called Dr. Foch, who was outside with Unit 04. "Dr. Foch?"

"Yes, Admiral."

"Did you notice anything unusual with the entry plug?" At that moment Foch was actually inside the entry plug with other technicians, examining it for damage and functionality. "Yes. I think perhaps our pilot was reluctant to go along with things." Foch aimed his phone at the Throne of Souls and pointed out the hand and feet restraints that had been wielded onto it. Vinson then showed the image on the phone to the others as Sheffield continued with his interrogation. "Prior to seeing that did you notice anything unusual?"  
"Such as?"  
"Anything unusual with the EVA, perhaps in the power system..."  
"No. It was the same as usual. Except no power cable."

"You had the S2 engine then?"  
"That's what Dad called it, yeah."  
"And it was working fine?"  
"Didn't need an umbilical that time, yes."  
"Did you do anything prior to the test?"  
"Like?"  
"Did you give the EVA any commands or try to move it?"

Patrick took a few more deep breaths as he was beginning to lose his self-control again. He remembered now what it was like to be chained inside the plug, which had then become a prison to him.

"Patrick?" Sir John quietly asked, "we really need to know what happened. Did you instruct the EVA to do anything during the test? Patrick? Patrick?"

Patrick exploded "I didn't want to fucking be there, Okay? I just wanted it to end!"

"And so you did what?"  
"I asked the EVA to stop what Dad was doing?"  
"You asked it to stop the test?"  
"I asked it to stop him from doing everything!"  
"What do you mean?"  
Patrick was becoming more emotional. "I couldn't let him do it! I couldn't let him do it to them!"  
"Who is them?"  
"NERV. Dad wanted to destroy NERV!"  
"Destroy NERV?"  
"Goddammit he was going to use the EVA and wipe out Tokyo-3!"

"So you did what?"

"I just asked EVA to stop it. I didn't care what she did!"  
"Patrick, there were ten thousand people at NERV-2 when it disappeared."

Patrick absorbed that for a moment. "What?"  
"When your test took place there were ten thousand staff and others at NERV Second Branch. They were never heard from again."

"What do you mean?"

A video projection came from the ceiling and played on one wall of the room. On the projection, Patrick saw an aerial image of NERV-2. He watched the video projection as a red and black energy cloud enveloped the base within thirty seconds, leaving behind a gigantic crater.

"This image is of NERV-2 immediately after your test. As you can see, the entire facility and the surrounding area are gone. There was literally no trace of any life within fifty miles of the base."  
"What the hell?"  
"So please tell us what happened?"  
"I didn't do that!"

"But you piloted your EVA at the time of the test. You asked it to stop your father. What did your EVA do to cause this?"  
"I don't know!"  
"You were its pilot. It follows your commands, and only your commands. What did you command it to do?"  
"I just wanted it to stop my father!"

"And so it destroyed the base and all those people!"  
"No! They're not destroyed!"  
"Then where are they, then?"  
"I don't know!"  
"But you were the one who did this..."

"I didn't kill them! The EVA said she...she put them someplace else."  
"_EVA_ said this to you?"

"Yes!"  
"Where did she put them?"  
"I don't know!"

"She didn't tell you?"  
"No..."  
"And you didn't think to ask..."  
"How the hell was I supposed to even know what happened! I never wanted any of this! I just want the hell out of here!"  
"Patrick, tell us what happened," Sheffield persisted.  
"I fucking told you already!"

"One more time, then."

"NO, YOU ASSHOLE! I'M SICK OF THIS SHIT! GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Patrick then grabbed the folding chair and began to furiously smash it against the mirror. "LET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE! WHERE'S MY SISTER? WHERE'S MY UNCLE? WHERE'S REI? LET ME GO!"

Musashi said to the Admiral "perhaps I should talk to him."

"Would he recognize you if he saw you?" Vinson asked.

"Probably," Musashi responded.

"Then I don't think that's a good idea. We still don't know who or what he knows, and we need to keep you a secret just a bit longer. I wouldn't want to risk that over someone's temper tantrum." Vinson got out of his chair and headed to the door. "Whoever thought of using children as pilots was a real idiot!"

Patrick continued to smash the chair against the mirror in a blind fury. He was so sunk into his rage that he hadn't noticed Admiral Vinson had walked into the room. With one hand Vinson grabbed the folding chair, wrestled it from a shocked Patrick, and then flung it across the room. Patrick immediately backed up several steps, panting heavily. The two of them just looked at each other for a minute and Vinson thought Patrick looked very much like a caged animal, with angry eyes starting back at him.

"Son, do you know who I am?"

_Oh, shit. I am _so_ dead._ "You're...you're Vance's father."

Vinson stepped closer while looking straight at him. "Why'd you shoot him, son? Did your father put you up to it?"

Patrick could feel his heart beating rapidly and his breath getting short. His head felt thick as a watermelon. "No...no...I didn't want to do it!"

The admiral again quietly moved closer to Patrick, who was sweating profusely. "Then why'd you do it then? Didn't Vance ask you to stay out of the way?"

"I couldn't let him kill her, no matter what it was...I just couldn't do it!" Tears began to form in Patrick's eyes. "We didn't come there for that! That wasn't what this was about!"

"Sorry, son. There were a lot of things that were hidden from you. Did your father tell you anything?"  
"Not until I got back," Patrick said weakly. "He said this was all just a setup. He...he said he sent Vance out there to get killed so he could get this S2 engine."

Vinson paused a moment and let his mind drift over to the image of his son. For the two months after he had narrowly escaped the UN authorities after the failed raid on Tokyo-3, Vinson had led himself to believe that the Forrestals, both father and son, had worked together to entrap Vance and in fact the whole group of renegades that Vinson led. Now confronted with the son in front of him, Vinson realized that his assumptions might have been wrong.

"You didn't want to go in that thing, did you?" Vinson was now within arm's length of Patrick.

"No," Patrick was now breaking down, tears streaming out of his eyes. "I just want to go home!"

"Can't do it, son. If the UN or the others found you they'd kill you without blinking."

"Where's my sister?" Patrick asked.

"We don't know. All we know is she wasn't at the base, so perhaps she's still alive somewhere."  
"My uncle?" Patrick asked again wearily.

"He disappeared the day you left without a trace. Your cabin itself was burned down." On hearing that his home was gone Patrick just stood there and quietly cried for the next few minutes. Vinson said nothing but just stood and waited for the boy to burn out the emotion.

"Take me to NERV, then," Patrick finally asked. "I'm an EVA pilot...I belong with the others." _Rei, oh God please still be alive..._

Vinson motioned to the mirror and then turned back to face Patrick. "You've been gone a little while, son. A lot's happened since you disappeared." The projector again focused an image on the wall and lights in the room dimmed. Patrick calmed himself down and watched the video as Vinson narrated.

"The day after you and everyone else at NERV-2 disappeared, the US government bailed out of the EVA program. They handed EVA-03 and all remaining NERV support personnel to Japan, and shut down 1st Branch. The Japanese then assigned their own pilot to the unit, designated the Fourth Child."

Patrick laughed a little, and said under his breath "I guess Kensuke finally got his wish."

"That wasn't his name. The kid was named Suzahara."

"Toji!"

"Anyway, it didn't go well. NERV set up Unit 03 at their facility at Mashishiro. Unfortunately unknown to anyone an Angel had hidden inside of the unit while it was being transported from the US. When activated the possessed EVA used it's AT field to destroy the Mashishiro facility and promptly attacked Tokyo-3. The unit then had to be destroyed." Patrick watched in horror as the video showed EVA 01 violently tearing EVA 03 into pieces. "The pilot," Vinson continued, "managed to only lose a leg in the process."

_Holy shit!_ Patrick thought. _Shinji's just ripping him apart. That's not like him at all!_

"A few days afterward the 14th Angel attacked Tokyo-3 and damaged both EVA-00 and 02, breaking into the Geo Front before being confronted by Unit 01. EVA-01 defeated the angel and then proceeded to...consume the Angel's S2 engine." They both watched as the video, taken from a covert position, showed a grainy but disturbing image of a green-glowing Unit 01 bending over an angel carcass and eating what was inside of it. "NERV then quickly harnessed the unit. The pilot was trapped inside and it took a month to recover him...not unlike how we got you back." Patrick looked with surprise at Vinson.

The video moved onto another scene. "Two weeks ago the 15th Angel appeared in Earth orbit. Units 00 and 02 attempted to attack it with positron cannons but then the angel countered by attacking Unit 02 with some sort of a mind probe. EVA-02 was intact but its pilot suffered a complete mental breakdown."

_Oh my God, Asuka! No..._

"EVA-00 then used a new weapon and threw it into orbit, destroying the Angel." Patrick's heart leaped as he saw the image of the blue EVA-00 running with a spear-like object and throwing it up in the sky like a Javelin. _It's Rei!_ He watched as the spear flew rapidly to the upper atmosphere, the resulting shock wave blowing away rainclouds in its path. A moment later a spectacular explosion occurred high above Tokyo-3.

"YES! WAY TO GO REI!" Patrick exulted. For the first time today, he felt he could feel good about something. Rei was still there, and NERV was still in the fight against the Angels. Even after everything there was still hope. Patrick felt himself take a deep breath as he sighed in relief. He looked over at Admiral Vinson, who didn't share his elation but rather had a stern look on his face.

_Oh, no..._

"When the 16th Angel appeared over Tokyo-3 Unit 00 was ordered to attack it. When it got into trouble they sent Unit 01 after it. The 16th Angel took possession of Unit 00 and then tried to attack Unit 01 with it. In order to save Unit 01 the pilot..." Patrick watched the new video as a large, white tentacle-like Angel was sucked into EVA-00. "...initiated a self-destruct and destroyed the Angel along with her own unit." Patrick's elation turned into horror as he watched what looked like an energy field building around EVA-00. The Evangelion seemed to glow white and its bindings were released, revealing a giant human-like figure. The unit then exploded in a massive fireball, taking most of the inner city of Tokyo-3 with it. After the video finished Vinson quietly stood by as Patrick trembled.

_Oh God, no...not her! Oh, please not her! Please..._

Vinson looked at Patrick. "That happened the day you got back. They haven't confirmed that she died but seeing the video it's clear what happened. I'm sorry."

Patrick was overcome with emotion. Today already had been too much for him to take, first finding out that NERV-2 was destroyed as was his old home, and that his family was missing. For a moment he had hoped that he could at least go back to Tokyo-3 and be with Rei and the other pilots, but now he felt like someone had just ripped his soul to shreds. Patrick collapsed onto the floor sobbing uncontrollably, his mind filled with images of the girl that he had left behind, and who was now gone.

"Did you know them well?" Vinson asked him.

"I wanted to," Patrick weakly replied.

* * *

After the interrogation Musashi asked to see Sir John outside the control booth and spoke to him in the hallway, apart from the others.

"Are you sure the First Child is dead?" he said in hushed tones.

"There's no confirmation from NERV still, but it's quite obvious I would think," Sheffield said. "As to why they haven't reported her dead, perhaps they don't want to panic the other pilots."

Musashi folded his arms and bit his lip. "Perhaps not. Something else that I found down in Terminal Dogma, regarding the First Child. I think I mentioned earlier that she was cloned."

"Yes, you did."

"Then she may re-appear very soon. The important thing about her is that whatever Ikari has planned for Third Impact, she's critical to it. I don't think he would have sacrificed her in combat like that unless he had a fall-back of some kind."

Sheffield considered this for a moment. "I'll have our inside man look into this. If she's that critical and if she's still alive, perhaps we should try to 'acquire' her."

"Perhaps. Also, if you communicate with your insider can I ask him to pass along a message to someone?"

"Of course."


	8. Chapter 7

_Tokyo-3_

In a suburban area of Tokyo-3 the streets were clogged with the mass congestion of cars, vans, buses and any number of moving vehicles now attempting to escape the city. Days earlier Tokyo-3 city center had been destroyed and while the official news reports all stated it was the result of a terrorist attack with an N2 bomb, the many who worked at and with NERV knew the truth: an Angel had penetrated into the Geo Front and then the ensuing battle destroyed the entire top layer of the fortress city, along with an EVA unit and the Angel itself. While many at NERV were veterans of the Angel battles before, the last few attacks were getting uncomfortably close to the center of NERV itself. What had started as a trickle of personnel resigning and leaving along with their families had now turned into a flood, with many now trying to get out of Tokyo-3 and the Kanto basin before something worse happened.

The Horaki family was one of the many who were now evacuating. A former _shinkansen (_bullet-train) project engineer, the father had worked with first GEHIRN and later NERV projects for twelve years designing the extensive, mostly underground train system used all along the fortress city and its environs. After the destruction of the city center however (and NERV's lies about how it happened) Horaki-san decided that he had enough. He had made hurried plans to move himself and his three daughters out of the Tokyo-3 suburbs and as far away as possible. Now with a rented moving van parked outside their house, he quickly rushed his three girls to grab anything essential and leave as soon as possible.

"Dad!" whined Kodama, the older daughter, "why do we have to leave _now_?"

"You saw what happened!" the father scolded her. "Next thing you know they'll be blowing up this place!" The seventeen-year old continued to protest but the engineer firmly held up a finger to her and looked for his other two girls, finding them coming out of the house.

"Come on, Nozomi-chan, we've got to get ready to go." Hikari Horaki quickly walked out of the house carrying several boxes of kitchen wares. She was followed by 9-year old Nozomi, who had crammed as many toy stuffed animals into her arms as she could carry. Hikari unloaded her boxes in the van and then turned to look at her little sister, who was struggling with her load.

"Nozomi, don't bring all of those stuffed animals! We don't have space in the van!"  
"But I need to bring all my friends with me," Nozomi protested. "Otherwise they'll be all alone!"

Hikari tried to comfort her. "They'll be fine. They'll keep each other company."  
"No they won't!" the little girl argued. "They miss me already!"

"Just bring one then!" Hikari bargained.  
Nozomi pouted. "No!"

"Okay. Then two."  
"No!"

The middle sister could feel her nerves getting frayed. "Nozomi, this isn't the time!" Hikari was clearly stressed as she tried to organize whatever she could out of the chaos of moving their family all the way to Kansai on a moment's notice. _When is Katsuragi-san coming?_ She quickly checked her mobile phone again. The NERV officer had called her two hours earlier as they were packing, asking her for a huge favor. Hikari couldn't refuse her, especially after what happened with Suzahara-kun, but she told Misato to hurry as they were leaving soon and she could sense her father's desperation to go as soon as possible.

Horaki-san placed in another load of boxes in the back of the van. "Hikari-chan, is it all in?"  
"Almost, Father."

"What about your friend?"

"Um, she's supposed to be here already," Hikari nervously responded.

"If she doesn't make it by the time we close that van door we leave it behind, understand?"

"Yes, Father."

Nozomi tugged at her jumper but Hikari ignored her and jogged a few meters down the street trying to get a glimpse of where the Major might be. She could see the main highway below them: one side of the road was packed with slowly moving vehicles overloaded with passengers and cargo. The other side of the highway was empty – that was the side that led to NERV and the Geo Front, and where nobody wanted to go.

Hikari looked behind her and saw her father close the van doors as Nozomi continued to protest with her arms still full of stuffed animals. She sighed and determined that it was already too late, and was about to turn back until she spotted a blue sports car with a red flashing light racing down the opposite side of the road.

"Hikari!" her father called.

"She's here!" she yelled back and waited impatiently on the curb for the blue car to skid alongside.

"Katsuragi-san!"

Misato stepped out of the car with a black and white furry mass cradled in her arms. "Phew! So glad I could make it in time!" Hikari's father avoided eye contact with Misato Katsuragi as she handed a large, overweight penguin to Hikari "All right. Here he is!"

"Hello again, Pen Pen!" Pen Pen put up a little bit of a fuss when Misato handed him over to Hikari, but Hikari quickly wrapped her arms around him and scratched his head a little.

Misato grabbed the back of her neck and smiled in embarrassment at Hikari. "I really hate to impose like this!"  
"Oh, don't worry," she said. "He's just a little mouth to feed. Besides, I think he'll give Nozomi-chan something to keep her distracted."  
"Thanks again, then!"  
Hikari looked nervously at Misato. "Katsuragi-san?"

"Yes?"

The girl looked around to see who was listening and then talked to Misato in hushed tones. "Um, what is going on? I've never seen my dad so scared! There were Angel attacks before but it wasn't like this. Everyone's so frightened!"

Misato put her hands on Hikari's shoulders. "Tell you a secret, I'm frightened too!"

"Really? Well, um, they said something happened to one of the pilots, something bad, and then I haven't seen or heard from Asuka since…"

The officer looked straight at Hikari. "Hikari-chan, right now just worry about your family. The next few days are going to be very hard, harder than all of the previous times. You need to be strong for them."

Hikari looked away while caressing Pen Pen, who had calmed down a bit. "I know. It's just that..."

"I heard that you're going to Osaka-2 and moving in with the Suzaharas," Misato said.

"That's right. With Suzahara-kun still in a wheelchair and his little sister still really sick they need help with everything, so it makes sense if we can work things out together."

The major smiled at her. "Then that's the spirit you'll need to pull ahead. Just focus on taking care of the family. Everything else will work itself out."

Hikari took the encouragement and smiled back. "All right, then."

"Here," Misato reached into the back trunk of the blue Renault and pulled out a white box about a meter tall. "I've got a spare little refrigerator. He can use that for sleeping in. His cooling pack plugs into the wall. You need to recharge it every 72 hours."  
"Got it!"

"Truthfully he eats just about anything but what he prefers are those canned sardines from the market. He'll eat about three tins a day. I brought a few to get you started." Misato showed Hikari a plastic shopping bag filled with fish tins.  
"Thanks."  
Misato smiled broadly. "Oh, and give him about half a can of beer before bedtime and he'll sleep really well!"

Hikari blushed. "Um, OK then!"

"There we go," Misato handed Hikari the bag as her father grabbed the refrigerator and tried to squeeze it into the back of the van. "You'll be fine!" Misato continued. "And as soon as everything's over I'll come right back for him."  
"It's no trouble, really!"

"Right. Better go then. Thank you again, and please take care."

"I will!"

Hikari's father closed the van's cargo doors again and called after her. "Hikari-chan! Time to go!"

"Bye, sweetheart! Mommy loves you!" Misato said as she hugged Pen Pen while Hikari held him tight. The penguin fussed again a little but Hikari carefully stroked his head and worked to calm him down. Misato then raised a finger at the bird. "Now you be good!" Pen Pen gave an approving squawk.

Pen Pen wriggled some more as Hikari took him with her into the waiting van. Her father was already behind the wheel while Hikari and her two sisters squeezed in the front cabin along with him.

Nozomi gasped when he saw the penguin seated in Hikari's lap. "Wow! A Real Penguin! Can I hold him?"

"Sure," Hikari told her. "Hold him here while I feed him a little." Hikari shifted Pen Pen to her little sister as she reached into the bag of fish tins and grabbed a case. Kodama groaned as Hikari opened up the tin and started to feed the bird. "Oh, God! Don't tell me this van is going to smell like fish all the way to Osaka, is it?" Hikari scowled at her as Nozomi excitedly squeezed the penguin enough for him to flap his arms and squawk loudly. "Keep it down! All of you!" her father yelled at them. "We have a long way to go!"

As her father drove the van down the street Hikari looked out the window and gave a nervous smile to Misato, who stood by her car and waived at them as they left. Misato watched as the van slowly merged in with the outgoing traffic on the main highway heading west and out of the area. Only after they were further down the highway did she allow herself to show emotion, folding her hands in front of her mouth and tearfully closing her eyes, praying for everyone's safe return. _I will see you again, Pen Pen, won't I?_

* * *

_Australia_

Sir John walked into the Alliance's Operations Center, which was now filled with technicians and officers manning a variety of consoles. Dr. Foch and Musashi were waiting for him inside. Together they walked across the floor and up a flight of stairs to a rear conference area that was cordoned off by glass. All three sat down as Dr. Foch set up his portable computer.

Sheffield asked Musashi "Based on what you saw of him, do you think the boy would pilot?"

"For the Alliance?" Musashi mused, "No. But for NERV, maybe. Right now I don't think he's in much shape to do anything."

"We don't have much time. Perhaps he just needs some of the right kind of persuading," Sheffield answered. "Dr. Foch, is Unit 04 fully capable?"

"It is," Dr. Foch replied. "The unit is fully operational from all I can tell. Furthermore we have the Y-Type equipment kit that was 'borrowed' from First Branch, so its firepower will be unparalleled. Just add pilot."

"Splendid." Sheffield turned on the video screen on the wall and after a moment received a video signal coming from a ship. The image on the screen showed a large, green and gray monstrosity of limbs, and then focused on a diminutive dark-skinned man in a white lab coat and glasses. "Ah, Dr. Viraat! How's it coming along, then?"

With his face somewhat pale and swelling, the scientist looked about ready to throw up on the camera. "Between the ocean swells and the stench of seawater I think I should be dead within a few days."

Sir John played along with the banter. "Just as long as you've the job done before you do yourself in."

Dr. Viraat smiled weakly. "We're perhaps a few days away from completion. The limbs are complete, but the control system is giving me fits. I can't do this without a proper lab."

"You've got 48 hours. Can she be done by then?"  
Viraat sighed. "You'll have Unit 05 ready. But it will be ugly, I guarantee that."

"Just as long as she can fight," Sheffield said.  
"Oh, she'll fight alright! I've got the power lance on now so there's be a surprise on the other end for anyone who'll come sporting for a match. Battery power is proving to be the biggest problem, however."

"I'll leave it to you, then, Doctor. Be seeing you!" and Sheffield clicked off the video before it looked like Viraat would get more sick. "Don't be fooled by the grousing," he told the others. "He loves to complain but he'll have it done in time."

"Just as long as it works," Foch said. "What are they up against, anyway?" he asked Musashi.

"Possibly as many as nine Evangelion units," the Japanese agent replied. "My information on them was spotty but if it's accurate SEELE might have been able to duplicate the S2 engine that Third Branch reverse-engineered. If that's true and if all nine units were to come at once it could prove overwhelming, even for our merry little band."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Sheffield replied. "Do they have pilots?"

"Also unknown. Third Branch was working on a version of the Dummy Plug, so its use would be logical."

"Nine units?" an alarmed Foch said. "Theoretically if each unit has an S2 of its own it might be enough to actually create an Anti-AT Field!"

"What would that do?" Sheffield asked.

"Melt everything!" Foch replied.

* * *

Patrick just sat there in the hot Australian desert and stared into the distance. There were some large red-colored rock formations visible but nothing much he could see beyond that, just lots of nothingness.

He had sat there perched on a small rock for nearly all of the day. After learning of Rei's death he had been taken back to the Pine Gap hospital and sedated. The next day he pulled out the IV in his arm, found some clothes that had been laid out in his hospital room and wondered outside. No one tried to stop him.

After several hours his hair and skin felt hot and he knew he was probably blistering from sun exposure, but he didn't care. He really didn't care about anything, anymore. He had no home or family. He had killed his best friend. He was sad about all of these things, but mostly he found himself running images of Rei Ayanami in his mind, over and over again, as if he was trying to soak up as much of her memory as he could before it faded away. As dangerous as it was to fight the Angels, he had hoped that somehow she would make it through. The image of her thrusting the spear-like weapon into the sky had given him such an elation, only to have his hopes smashed with the image of Unit 00 exploding in a massive fireball. It had been just one defeat too many for him and now here he was in the middle of nowhere, broken in spirit.

As Patrick thought about the blue-haired girl the tears had come and gone. In the days since his arrival, his mind had returned to him a bit more now and he had realized just what the EVA had done to him earlier during his father's abortive S2 installation. Using the image of Rei to melt his heart, his body had somehow dissipated and was mixed with the LCL in the entry plug, his soul becoming intertwined with that of the EVA itself. What he had remembered of the experience was the fuzzy world of a make-believe Tokyo-3, with a make-believe Rei and make-believe friends, images taken from memories of what had been both the happiest and saddest time of his life.

Now It wasn't those memories that were flooding through his brain but rather the real ones. Meeting Rei for the first time in the school hallway. Escaping from the drunken pervert in the train and then walking with her to her dingy apartment. Talking with her during school. The date, eating ice cream, and seeing her smile and laugh. Holding her hand as they ran away from the prying eyes of the others. Trying, and failing, to kiss her later on. Maybe he couldn't have broken through to her, but he had just wanted to try one more time. Even just to see her once again would have been enough.

But now she was gone. His Angel had ascended to Heaven and he was stuck here all alone on Earth. Or perhaps, given the hot temperature and bleakness of where he was sitting at this moment, it was actually hell.

Patrick heard footsteps behind him but didn't bother to see who it was until a water jug was dropped down right next to his feet. A slender hand offered him a cup of water. He looked to see who it was and saw that it was Mari, with a broken smile on her face.

"Take it. You'll dehydrate if you don't."

The boy grudgingly took the cup and drank it. "Thanks," he said under his breath, his throat feeling painful when he spoke. She took the cup back, filled it with water and presented it to him again. Patrick again took it and drank it down, letting out a sigh afterward.

"How's the nose?" she asked.

"Oh, it's better I guess. The nurse told me it will be okay in a couple of days."

"Good. Sorry about that. I suppose both of us were a bit on edge then."

"No, it was my fault," Patrick said. "I shouldn't have pushed you like that."

Mari changed the topic as she pulled out a tube of ointment from her blouse pocket. "You knew the one who died, yeah?"

Patrick nodded as the girl knelt down and started to apply the burn ointment on his face. "Yeah."

"Dangerous business, this is," she said without looking directly at him. "I suppose it's an occupational hazard of being a pilot. What was she like?"

Patrick let the memories of Rei again flood back into his mind. "She was…special. Really beautiful, very smart, but awkward at the same time. Like someone who's both old and young." They both said nothing for a moment as Mari continue to apply the ointment to his face and arms. "She had this certain mystery about her, she wasn't like any of us but more like what everyone used to call angels."  
"You mean with wings and a harp?" Mari asked.

"And a halo. Always watching over you."

"A guardian angel," she mused. "All done!" She put back the ointment tube as Patrick felt that his face was much cooler. He smiled weakly at her. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Mari then sat down next to him as he stared again into the distance for the next few minutes. She looked at him and saw his hard face and reddish eyes, knowing that his heart was broken. _He's human at least, _she thought to herself.

After a while Mari asked him "So, how long do you intend to sit like this?"  
Patrick didn't look at her but scoffed and cursed under his breath. "I never should have left the EVA."

"Don't say that. You've come at just the right time."

"Give me a break! I'm lucky Vance's father hasn't just blown me away already."

Mari swiveled to face him. "Do you know what's going on around here? What they're up against? These people didn't have hope until you showed up. Now you've given them a fighting chance!" Patrick just glared at her but she continued. "Look, until they fished you out of that plug it was just little old me and my half-built EVA. I still don't know if she'll even go. But you've got the whole deluxe set-up there, S2 and all, enough to give them an edge. All it needs is you."

"I don't want to do this again," Patrick wearily said.

"And this isn't exactly the way I planned on making my debut in the EVA either, but it's what we've got in front of us." Patrick turned away and just kept staring in front of him. Mari nudged closer to him. "What would your angel girl want?"

"What do you mean?"  
"If she were here now," she asked him, "what would she want?"

"I asked her that once and she didn't know what she wanted."

Mari picked up a pebble and threw it a few feet in front of them. "Oh, that can't be true! We all know what we want but we're usually just too afraid to say it." Mari nudged even closer to him, almost with her mouth to Patrick's ear. "If she knew you were here and couldn't be here herself and needed to you to do something for her, what would it be?"

Patrick thought about what Mari was saying to her and his memories came down to how he watched Rei die. He remembered the video in the interrogation room and how the glowing, snake-like 16th Angel had taken control over Unit 00 and then used it to launch attacks on Shinji's Unit 01. Rei had imploded the EVA to save him at the cost of her own life. He knew from before that it wasn't the first time she had sacrificed herself for him, either.

Rei _was_ a guardian angel, he realized, and it was Shinji that she was guarding. Now she was gone, but Shinji was still here and all alone.

"She'd…she'd want to protect Shinji….the Third Child."

"And there's your answer!" She smiled at him. A phone rang "Rule Britannia" and she picked it out of her pocket. "Hello…oh, we're all right, just working out some issues here." She listened to the voice on the other end describe something at length and then replied "I thought I was going to pilot, not be an errand girl!" The voice continued until she looked satisfied. "Fourth Child, huh? Well, okay, but I want your promise that I'll get my chance!" The voice on the other end agreed. "Good. When are we leaving? Straightaway? Fine, I'll be there," and she hung up the phone.

"I'm afraid I've been called away. I'm popular, it seems. Now they need me to go find the Fourth Child." Mari stood up to go. Patrick still sat there on the rock but he looked up at her.

"Pats, do remember what you said just now, yes?"

Patrick nodded. "Say hi to Toji for me."

"I'll do that. Don't spend too much time out here, mate. They've got spiders here that can kill you with one bite!"

The boy smiled weakly. "I'll be careful."

She started to walk back to the base as Patrick turned around and said to her "Mari! Thank you!"

"Don't mention it, Pats," she called back. "And by the way, my friends all call me 'Lusty.'"

"Thanks, Lusty."

Mari continued to walk off and then suddenly stopped and turned around again. "Say, Pats?"

"Yeah, Lusty?"

She had an inquisitive look on her face. "How did you know my mum died? Did someone tell you?"

At that Patrick stood up, as memories of someone else now coming to his mind. "We're sort of in an exclusive club and there's a price of admission to get in. Vance wasn't invited, but you and I were. I can't explain it any better than that."

Mari sighed. "I was afraid of that. Guess I'll have to work out that one, won't I?"

"We've all got to do it," Patrick told her. "Sort of comes with the job."

"Right. I'll be off, then." Mari continued walking back to the base as Patrick just watched her.

* * *

_Osaka-2_

Kensuke Aida searched the narrow streets of Osaka-2 to find the new house of his old friend Toji Suzahara. The Suzahara family had been evacuated from Tokyo-3 a day before the city center was destroyed, moving to the vacant home of one of Toji's grandfather's old classmates. The family (consisting of Toji, his little sister, father, and grandparents) made the trip from Tokyo-3 to Osaka in an ambulance, necessary as his little sister still required constant medical attention.

After thirty minutes of searching Kensuke found the new house, a narrow green-painted two-story structure that looked like it had seen better days. Kensuke could see several boxes and shipping crates still sitting in front of the house. In a family with two invalids and two seniors, unpacking would present a real challenge. Fortunately the Suzaharas wouldn't be living on their own, once the Horaki family arrived later that day.

Kensuke looked at the doorway and saw there was no family nameplate. However the address was correct according to Toji's instruction and he promptly knocked on the door. A few seconds later it was Toji, hobbling on crutches, that opened it.

"Hey, there!" Kensuke greeted Toji with a wave.

The other boy eyes brightened up. "There you are. Sure came a long way to see me."

"Yeah, it took a while to get here from Tokyo-2. How's the leg?" Kensuke motioned to what would have been Toji's left leg, now just an empty pant leg that was tied up in a knot.

"Still missing. Can't play basketball for shit!" Toji smiled weakly at his friend who just chuckled.

Toji got into a wheelchair and wheeled his way out of the house and onto the street. They both traveled to a nearby park where there were basketball hoops, and Toji took a basketball that he had brought with him and started shooting baskets from his chair. After each shot Kensuke would run down the ball and give it back to Toji for another try. He went shooting for about twenty minutes (and nearly as many missed baskets) until he made a clean shot and breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was starting to get some kind of groove back.

Once he was more relaxed Toji concentrated less on making baskets and more on talking with his friend. "The TV news said that Tokyo-3 was blown up by terrorists. That's not really true, is it?"

Kensuke retrieved the ball again after Toji successfully made another shot. "Nope. EVA-00 went into self-destruct mode and exploded, taking an Angel with it."

Toji looked at Kensuke in shock. "Ayanami? Self-destructed?"

"That's right."

Suzahara just shook his head. "Oh, no. That's gonna be hard on Shinji. What about the noisy one?" He referred to Asuka.

"Unit 02 is not currently operational," Kensuke replied, handing Toji the ball. "It's just Shinji now."

"He's alone again," Toji sighed. "That kid just can't buy a break."

Kensuke was silent for a while as Toji shaped up another shot. "There's more," he finally said. Toji stopped shooting baskets and looked at the other boy, who was wearing an unusually serious expression.

"I got my dad's laptop and downloaded the hard disc before NERV confiscated it. Something big is about to happen."

"Like what?" Toji asked.

"Don't know," Kensuke shrugged. "But after Tokyo-3 was destroyed the government was making a lot of noise about how NERV has been nothing but trouble for Japan. They may try to shut it down. I've also seen a lot of activity with the JSSDF recently. Seems they're planning on something big, too. It's got to be connected in some way."

"Bah!" Toji exclaimed. "Nothing we can do. Did you warn Shinji?"

"I couldn't get through to him. They've got tight security on all the phone lines! But the Major's not going to let anything happen to him if she can help it."

"Mph." Toji carefully lined up another shot and then bounced the ball off the rim. "Damn, this sucks!"

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Stumbling around the ruins of Tokyo-3, Asuka found herself wandering the streets in a daze. Having lost her ability to link to her EVA she had been thrust out to the battle with the 16th Angel anyway as a decoy. After the battle had ended with Unit 00's destruction, Asuka was released and told to go home. She didn't. Instead, for the last few days she just walked aimlessly through the above-ground wreckage of the city.

_I lost._

_I'm a nobody now. I'm worse than a nobody. I had everything I wanted in the grasp of my hand and I lost it._

_I did everything I could. Use every ounce of strength I had. Every bit of skill. For ten years I put my whole being into piloting. But in the end it was worthless. I just fell apart._

_13__th__ Angel… I got rammed into the ground…_

_14__th__ Angel… I got my Eva's head cut off…_

_15__th__ Angel… I…Oh, God what did it do to me? It attacked me there, in my mind, in the place I dare not go. I tried so hard to forget. I piloted so I could forget. So I could forget about what happened to Mama. About the day she took that doll and she…_

_He took me right there and I had to see it all over again, like I did when I was four._

_Mama, why did you die? Why did you leave me?_

_Can't you see me now? I need you now, more than ever before!_

_I'm sorry. I just couldn't win with the EVA…_

She was numb to all feelings and didn't sense the rain that had started to come down on her. As she turned a corner around a destroyed building, she viewed the charred remains of a store that she once visited with Shinji. Seeing the burned out building and broken glass brought back memories of earlier happiness.

_I couldn't win with him either…_

_I just want him to hold me. Doesn't he know that? Doesn't he know what he does to me inside? _

She reached out to the broken windows as if to touch Shinji, as if he was still standing there, but the image of him in her mind was an illusion and one of many that had been broken. The girl hung her head low and stood there in the pouring rain.

_I don't want to die, but I don't want to live either. I just want to go away from everyone._

* * *

_Osaka-2_

After spending some hours with Kensuke talking and wondering all over Osaka-2, Toji left him at the local subway station and then wheeled himself back to the house. Kensuke offered to walk him home but Toji insisted on going by himself, telling Aida that he needed the challenge.

Once arriving at the house Toji saw the rented moving van parked in front, with additional shipping boxes now neatly arranged in the entryway next to the Suzahara family's shipping crates. Upon seeing that Toji smiled to himself as he knew Hikari and her family had finally arrived.

Toji opened the doorway and rolled in, seeing even more boxes now stacked all over the living room. Looking around he watched as a nine-year old girl was leading a large bird through the hallway as she was carrying a beverage can. Toji looked at the bird again and immediately recognized that it was none other than Misato's Pen Pen, who seemed to be tottering as the young girl swirled the can around his head.

Hikari was in the house too, busy unpacking dishes and other ceramics in the kitchen. She saw her little sister taunting the penguin and without even noticing Toji, Hikari rushed right up to both the girl and the drunk penguin.

"Nozomi what are you doing with dad's beer!" Hikari grabbed the gold beer can from the girl's hand.

"I was giving it to Pen Pen!"  
"Don't let him drink that!"

"But he likes it!"

"Just a little bit. Not the entire can!" Hikari picked up a tottering Pen Pen underneath his wings and gently shoved him into the little refrigerator that was now plugged into the kitchen wall. "Here you go, Pen Pen. Just sleep it off." Pen Pen belched a little as Hikari closed the door and then looked sternly at her sister. "Nozomi, go and unpack your things."  
"I can't find my books!" the little girl protested.  
"They're in there, just keep looking. Get your clothes out or else you won't have anything to wear tomorrow."

"I don't like this house," Nozomi pouted. "It's too crowded. The old man scares me!"

"That's Suzahara-sensei and you'd better be nice to him for letting us stay with them." Hikari looked around and then suddenly noticed Toji sitting there in his wheelchair. She smiled weakly at him and he smiled back.

"Why can't I play with that other girl? The one in the other room with all of the weird machines?" Nozomi referred to Toji's sister.

"She's can't play with you. She's really sick, honey," Hikari softly rebutted. "Now just go unpack, Okay?"

"Okay..." Nozomi found the stairway and marched upstairs, still disappointed in losing her penguin playmate. Hikari watched her go up stairs and then turned to face Toji.

Toji smiled at her again. "Class Rep!"

"Hi." she wearily smiled back.

"How are you?"

"Okay, I guess." Hikari rubbed her forehead.

"You look tired."

"Yeah. We were driving all night to get here. Dad pulled in just after you left the house. Where were you?"

"Out with Kensuke. He came earlier this morning. They got out of Tokyo-3 yesterday too." Toji pointed to the little refrigerator. "Isn't that the Major's bird?"

"Uh, yeah. She gave him to us for safe keeping. I checked in on your sister a few minutes ago. It looks like she's improved a bit."

"Yeah. I think she's just glad to be out of the hospital." Toji rolled up to the kitchen as Hikari turned around and continued to unpack. She didn't face Toji but still spoke to him. "Did Aida-kun say anything about what happened?" she asked him.

"Like what?"

Her voice was nervous as carefully she took out another bowl from a box, her hands shaking slightly. "I heard my father talking earlier and he said something happened to one of the pilots. I tried to call Asuka but she didn't pick up her phone and..."  
Toji took a deep breath. "Aida said it was unconfirmed but…Ayanami's dead."

The teen-aged girl gasped, dropping the bowl on the floor. "No!"

"He also says something happened to Asuka...she's not in the fight anymore. Shinji's by himself again."

Hikari bent over to pick up the pieces from the broken bowl on the floor, and turned around to face Toji as she clutched a broken piece of ceramic. She was crying, her eyes quivering in anger. "I wish he had died instead of Ayanami!"  
"Don't say that!"  
"I mean it!" she clenched her fists. "Look at what he did to you!"  
Toji looked at Hikari calmly. "This wasn't his fault!"

"Of course it was! How can you be so forgiving of him?"

Toji stood up out of his chair, balancing carefully on his one leg. "I saw Shinji go through a lot, more than anyone should have a right to." He grunted, "All I did was lose a leg, but what he went through was a hell of a lot worse than this."

Unable to continue working Hikari just stood there and started crying more, saying weakly "I'm so sick of this! I just want all of this to end!"

Suzahara-kun carefully hobbled over to where Hikari was standing, using the boxes and appliances to help him move right next to the girl. Hikari put her hand over eyes and turned her head while he struggled, as she couldn't bear to watch him be like this.

After a few moments Toji finally got next to her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Hikari-chan..."

As Toji leaned against the kitchen counter Hikari buried her head in his chest and sobbed "I just wish everything was back the way it was..." Toji brought both of his arms around her and held her tight.

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

The first thing Rei saw when she opened her eyes was that she was in the Dummy Plug Plant again. Initially to her it had seemed like the scanning process was taking quite a while this time, but then something seemed wrong to her. Her body felt different somehow, slower to react to her thoughts. Her mind was being rapidly flooded with memories and feelings of all sorts, randomly flashing by in quick succession. Her brain felt inflated like an overfilled balloon.

Rei looked out of the plexiglass tube and saw Dr. Akagi working alone at the control station. Ritsuko looked up and noticed that Rei's eyes were open and immediately went to the speaker.

"What is your name?"

_A very unusual question from her_, Rei thought. "Rei…Rei Ayanami," she replied weakly.

"What is your NERV serial number?"

"0000000000001"

"What is your function?"

"I am an Evangelion Pilot."

"What is the last thing you remember before now?"

Rei hesitated at first as she struggled to recall. "Entering this scan tube."

"And before that?"

"I had lunch… with Commander Ikari."

"What was the last Angel that was defeated?"

_Why such obvious questions_? "15th Angel."

"Did you go with the Third Child to the glade in the Geo Front yesterday?"

"No." _Why would she ask that? I just discovered that two days ago._

Upon hearing Rei's answers Ritsuko smiled to herself and picked up the phone. The Commander answered it. "Yes?"

"The new one is ready."

"And the memory?"  
"Restored as of the last session. There will be some confusion as the synapses adjust to the massive inflow, but language and emotional conditioning are present and functioning and she should have adequate motor function within a few hours."

"Good. See to it that she's seen by others but that she has no direct contact with the other pilots or anyone else."

As Ritsuko and the commander spoke further on the phone Rei tried to search her feelings to find out why she felt so disoriented. For a moment she concentrated hard, trying to sort out the rush of memories that were flashing through her mind. Probing into her thoughts, she felt the shadow of something very familiar to her. Making contact with it she then realized who it was.

_The Me inside the EVA. She is here! She is now inside me. But how can that be? Why is she not inside the EVA? Why is she here? _

Her thoughts began to assemble the picture in front of her.

_What happened to the EVA? Why does Akagi-sensei ask those questions?_

Unable to move her body much Rei slowly touched her fingertips to each other. She tried to sense the calluses on her fingers but as she touched them one by one she felt that her fingertips were completely smooth, as if her fingers were never used before. At that moment she knew what had just happened to her, and her mind fell into shock.

_Why couldn't you just let me die…_


	9. Chapter 8

_Australia_

Pine Gap had a second conference room that was much larger than the one behind the command center, designed for important meetings with senior commanders and government officials. Unlike the rest of the rooms in the facility this one was decorated with dark wood paneling and a large round conference table made of black and silver quartz. Alliance technicians had installed a new hologram projector in the center of the round table and had updated the audio & visual displays mounted on the outside walls.

With time running short the Alliance command staff sat down to work out the final strategy of their upcoming action. Present in the room were the military commanders, including Admiral Vinson and General Sheffield as well as several other sub-commanders including Colonel Burke. Musashi was ther, as was Dr. Foch, and appearing on video screens mounted on the walls were Dr. Viraat and the Alliance's naval commander Admiral Gato. Admiral Vinson stood up and started the discussion while motioning to a large wall display.

"Per information that we've recently acquired we know that there is one Angel left to go before the Third Impact scenario begins. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen soon, so our chance to stop this shit from occurring is coming upon us. Right now," Vinson changed the screen as he continued, "we've issued our assembly order and you all can see the results of that outside. We've managed to take advantage of the recent disruption of UN satellite operations and that has allowed us to marshal up our air and ground forces here at Alice Springs, as well as in another assembly point in Alaska. We've also been able to take possession of the old USAF's R&D stockpiles that weren't declared to the UN, including the fighter and bomber prototypes, and that were hidden away until last month. Furthermore Admiral Gato has managed to wrangle off two battle groups from the UN Pacific Fleet in support of us. Lastly we have two boomers, one American and one British, that have used their Trident launch platforms to put into orbit a functional (if bare-bones) satellite GPS and communications capability that gives us one-up on the UN and anyone else at least for the time being. In short, we are almost ready to party. That's our military situation. Where else do we stand, Johnny?" Vinson motioned to Sheffield.

Sir John stood up and started his own briefing. "Right now NERV has two operational Evangelion units and only one of its own pilots with another replacement pilot arriving from Germany today and designated the 'Fifth Child.' He's intended to replace the German girl and pilot Unit 02. They're on alert for an Angel attack but they've also begun to wind down operations as well. Since Tokyo-3 was destroyed many personnel have left the organization and they're shutting down non-essential areas as a result. They've also, oddly, released their conventional military defense group which public affairs had said was due to UN funding cuts. Besides the EVAs they've only got what's left of their fortress system and a light security force inside the Geo Front facility."

"Convenient," said Vinson.

"Quite. I think Mr. Musashi will have something to say about that later. Now," Sheffield changed the screen again to a blurry photograph of a winged aircraft that was carrying something very large underneath it. "What's also interesting is what's happened in Germany and elsewhere. One of our boys saw this..." he motioned to the photo, "yesterday. That is an ex-USAF B-2 modified with some sort of humanoid-looking cargo underneath. We believe that this might be our Mass-Production EVA that SEELE's been going on building in secret. Two of these planes took off from Third Branch and then flew East, we don't know where. According to what we've learned there are more of these things around, from Russia, China and elsewhere, and if they're moving it's likely they've going to employ them soon."

"How many total," asked Vinson.

"We've been unable to confirm a complete count but at least five have been spotted. There may be as many as four others."

"How is the Mass Production EVA different from the other EVAs?" one of the other officers asked.

"Details are uncertain but it's known they have some sort of copy of the S2 engine and the dummy plug. There is also some sort of unique weapons package but we don't know its capability. And no one has seen these things in operation, so there's much we don't know. What we _do_ know is according to Dr. Foch if nine or more units were to open up their S2 engines in coordination with each other the Third Impact scenario would likely be triggered, so stopping these things is vital to success."

"Understood. Thank you," Vinson nodded. "Mr. Musashi?"

Musashi now stood up. He didn't have a video presentation but technicians in the back put up various screens of data on the Japanese military. "Several days ago the Japanese government declared a war emergency after the destruction of Tokyo-3 and placed the Strategic Self-Defense Force, or JSSDF, on full alert. Currently an armored division of the JSSDF operates in the Kanto basin as part of the UN's defense force for NERV. There's another division and special operations group in Tokyo-2 that's been given alerts as well. Not long afterward the Deputy Prime Minister made a speech in the Diet stating in sumMari that NERV has been nothing but trouble for Japan and had 'information' that revealed a secret agenda on their part and that it needed to be shut down. This I believe is a precursor to an assault on NERV by Japanese forces, to either capture or destroy the facility and the EVAs. Given as they already have forces conveniently close to the Geo Front they'll have the capability to move on them in short order, given the command."

"Also, yesterday the Interior Ministry received notice that the JSSDF would begin to detain and question NERV and ex-NERV personnel throughout Japan and that the Interior Ministry was not to 'interfere' with their operations. That's quite unusual to have the military performing a constitutionally civilian mission, so the inference is that they're up to something drastic. Needless to say the Ministry is quite upset with the Defense Agency and the Government."

"Can we use that to our advantage?" Vinson asked.

"Possibly. As I've stated earlier, the Alliance needs to limit its operations to the Tokyo-3 area and not overreach to 'regime change.' My contacts within the Interior Ministry are already at odds with the national government and the UN. If the Alliance intervention succeeds as planned it could positively be seen as a rescue mission or at worst cleanup of a huge mess, and give the Ministry the cause it needs to force a change of government. If it extends beyond that then Tokyo-2 can quickly gather up popular support and we'll be facing a hostile nation regardless of our good intentions. It's best if we can keep any government changes as a local affair."

"Do your allies in the Interior Ministry have the means of doing that?" asked Sir John.  
"They've already made contacts with Japanese units within the UN military establishment that could give them a capability. "  
"Time is short on this, Musashi," Vinson warned.

"I can't guarantee anything but I'll do what I can."

The Admiral leaned back on his chair. "Anything else?"

"Yes. Throughout the course of my investigations I've discovered that SEELE has penetrated both the Japanese national government and the JSSDF, and at the highest levels. It's highly likely that whatever the government has planned will be in facilitation of SEELE's own goals."

"One enemy with two heads," Sir John quipped.

"Precisely."

"What about NERV itself?" Vinson asked. "Do they have a Third Impact scenario?"

"Commander Ikari does. Originally the Human Instrumentality Plan was to contact First and Second Angels together and use the Lance of Longinus recovered from Antarctica to manipulate the exchange and allow SEELE to control the process, effectively making them gods. When NERV used the Lance to destroy the 15th Angel that plan went right out the window. I have no doubt that Ikari has his own scenario, but his actual aims are still unclear."  
Vinson crossed his arms. "Does he have he means to conduct his own Third Impact?"  
"With his possession of both First and Second Angels, of course," the agent said. "Without the Lance the direction it would take is unknown."

"Does the rest of the organization share his goals?" Sheffield asked.

"Unlikely. NERV was always about defeating the Angels to prevent Third Impact. The idea that they'd be doing all this and then have Third Impact anyway would be quite disheartening, hence Ikari has never disclosed his true goals. If anyone knew it would be either the Vice Commander or Dr. Akagi."

Vinson folded his hands in front of him in deep thought. "Anyone in there that we can 'flip over'?"

"There's one person that we can trust, but contact must be made very carefully as she's under constant surveillance. If our communications to her were detected it might tip our hand." Vinson looked at Sheffield, who said "Our man inside's quite careful, otherwise they'd have caught him already. If there's a way to reach her, he'll do it."

"Fair enough," said Vinson, who then turned to Dr. Foch. "EVA-04 is ready?"

"She is," said the scientist. "Just need the pilot."

"That's still being worked out. How about EVA-05?" Vinson looked at the screen at Dr. Viraat.

"It'll be there, though I can't guarantee for how long," the Indian scientist replied.

"Good. We know how the chessboard pieces are set up. Now we just need to work on the winning moves."

* * *

After the conference Vinson took Musashi aside in another room and away from the others.

"Musashi," Vinson told him. "I need to make it clear to you now. I know one of your conditions was that we don't try to engage combat with the NERV EVAs, but if Ikari uses one of those things to do his own Third Impact..."  
"I don't think so. I doubt the son will knowingly engage in anything the father has planned. If anything now as Unit 01 has its own S2 engine it makes the perfect decoy."

"SEELE will seek it out?"

"In place of the Second Angel, yes."

"So they start Third Impact and then he springs whatever trick he's planning..."

"Correct. Which is also why I asked Sir John to confirm the status of the First Child, as somehow she's part of this."

Vinson rubbed his head. "Oh, God. How did we all get into this situation?"  
"Simple. SEELE used both Second Impact and the war against the Angels to distract everyone from the true goal."

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain," Vinson quipped and Musashi forced a smile. "All we need now are the flying monkeys!"

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Dr. Akagi carefully wrapped bandages all over Rei and placed her in the NERV hospital wing, in order that she was seen by others to verify her status as "injured" and not "dead." After leaving Rei in the hospital she left quickly and traveled to one of the deeper access ways in the Geo Front. Dialing on a mobile phone, she reached the commander on the first ring,

"Yes," Gendo answered.

Ritsuko's voice was unusually warm. "I've done all you've asked. Please tell me we're finished."

"Almost, Ritsu," Gendo told her. "The Committee is coming to suspect that we're interfering with their project, and that our intentions are not the same as theirs. I think it's time we told them to mind their own business."

"Agreed."

"Then there is one more thing that I need you to do for me, Ritsu."

Ritsuko forced a smile. "What is it, darling?"

* * *

She stood there in the darkened holographic conference room and waited for the others to appear. To her, this was the last hurdle to cross. Ikari had asked her to perform one more task and then she hoped that his loyalty would be assured. While Ritsuko was uncomfortable with what she was now doing, she knew Gendo had been right about everything up until now. Through what she was doing she would show SEELE where her own loyalties lay, and that together with Gendo they would be unstoppable.

Projection lights came on in the conference room as the holographic images of several square monoliths appeared in all directions around her. Ritsuko stood at attention in the middle with a light shining down on her. She was completely naked.

The monolith labeled "SEELE 01" spoke to her first. "We would wish that we can conduct this peaceably, Dr. Akagi. We don't wish for you to suffer from any further insult."

Ritsuko was defiant. "I don't feel insulted in any way."

A voice came from another monolith. "Quite a strong woman. No wonder Ikari keeps her close." A third voice came forth. "However, it was Ikari himself that presented you to us like this."

The first voice spoke again. "We had demanded that the commander present the pilot of EVA Unit 00 to us for interrogation. He, however, rejected our request, and instead presented you to us as her subordinate."

The scientist gasped in surprise. "I...am Rei's _subordinate_?"

_That bastard! It was about _her_ all along!_

* * *

_Australia_

Patrick was moved from his hospital bed to another building, which was an officer's quarters. His room there was small and quite plain with walls painted white. For the furniture was just a bed and a desk with two chairs, and there no television, radio, computer, or even telephone.

_Remind you of someone you know?_ a voice in his head said. He had to admit it didn't help his emotional state to see this place. With nothing else to really do other than wander aimlessly outside, Patrick sat in the room and went about thinking about everything.

He was given a small suitcase with khaki-colored clothes and some small possessions like underwear and a toothbrush. Patrick thought to himself that the suitcase and its contents were literally everything he now had on Earth: all of his other possessions were gone with NERV-2 or the old cabin. While he was fishing through the suitcase trying to find anything other than clothes or personal care items, there was a knock on the door. He went to open it and found Sir John Sheffield standing there, a manila envelope in his hand.

"Sorry to intrude," the general said. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time?"

"Uh, no. Just getting settled in."  
"May I come in?"

"Sure." Patrick opened the door wider and invited the commander inside.

"How's the nose?"

"Oh," the boy motioned to his bandage, "they said it should be OK in about a day."

"Right. Sorry about that. Miss Illustrious can get a bit testy if pushed the wrong way. Despite that she's really quite a sweet girl."

Sheffield stood over the desk and opened the envelope, inviting Patrick to sit down and examine the contents. What Sir John showed Patrick was a series of reports, which also included several poor-quality photographs of a large, white humanoid figure.

"I wanted to ask you about this," Sheffield started, "as I thought perhaps your father might have mentioned to you about what we think this is."  
"Well, what is it exactly?"

"We believe these are Mass-Production Evangelions, being built by SEELE possibly for the purpose of implementing Third Impact."

"He didn't say anything about this," Patrick told him. "Not that he spoke to me much anyway."

"But you knew about his betrayal of the Admiral and his son?"

"All of that came out after Tokyo-3. He mentioned something about an Instrumentality that brings about a 'perfect end state' for humanity, but I don't think he was going to go along with it. Nothing about other EVAs, though."

"Considering the efforts he was putting into accelerating his own part of the EVA program, and also considering the not insignificant help he received from SEELE in hiding it, our thoughts were that perhaps he was also assisting in building these units as well."

"Sorry, sir. I don't know anything."

"Very well. I'll just leave these with you then. Perhaps that will jog your memory in some way."

Sheffield left the photos and information on the table and went to leave the room. Before he left the room, Sheffield said to Patrick "you should know that if and when SEELE decides to try and take over NERV, these things will likely be in the forefront."

"I see. You said mass-production?"  
"Correct."  
"Does that mean there's a lot of them?"  
"We don't know the exact number but there could be at least nine of them, if they're completed. Right, then. We'll see you later." Sir John then left the room.

After Sheffield left and with little else to do, Patrick glanced through the photos and documents. While the pictures were grainy or blurry the figure of the Mass-Production EVA was clearly seen: about the same size as his own, colored white, and an unusual looking head – no helmet, no eyes even, but a very large toothy mouth. Like the other Evangelions, the mass-production type looked slender and muscular. Patrick noticed that there was no power cable in the rear. When he paged through the documents in the folder, he found one that was a written sumMari of the mass-production's estimated capabilities. While there was a lot of technical language in the document, by reading it over he could surmise that like the other EVAs the new ones also had AT fields. Unlike the original EVA however they also came with the S2 engine built-in, which would definitely give them a combat advantage. There was no real information about weapons but a good look at the unit in the photos showed that they appeared menacing enough. Fighting other EVAs was bad enough, he figured, but he wouldn't want to face one of these much less nine of them.

_Is this what they want me to do? Fight these things?_

Patrick closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _Oh, shit. When the hell will this ever end?_


	10. Chapter 9

_Tokyo-3_

Together Gendo and Vice Commander Futsuyuki entered the cavernous Dummy Plug Plant room. Once they saw the LCL tank in the back of the room Futsuyuki nearly gagged while Gendo remained silent.

"Oh, my God," Futsuyuki gasped. Floating in the LCL tank were fragments of human bodies. Normally the tank was closed from view and for good reason: inside were contained nearly one hundred biological copies of the First Child, each identical in appearance to her but lacking the spark of life. The clones formed the basis for the Evangelion's Dummy Plug (or artificial pilot), as well as other uses that the command staff didn't care to disclose to anyone else. Now the bodies of the clones were just pieces floating together in the glowing orange glare of the giant tank, as dozens of arms, legs, torsos and heads all floated in an aquarium of the macabre. Both men walked closer to the tank as they noticed that several agents from Section Two in black suits were also investigating inside the large chamber.

The vice commander sighed. "Hell hath no vengeance..."

"At least we still have the one left," Gendo responded. "Stupid woman. Just like her mother."

Futsuyuki looked at the tank as a severed head floated by him, the eyes still wide open and the mouth smiling. "Without the dummy plug we won't be able to control Unit 01 during Instrumentality."

Gendo pushed up his glasses with his forefinger. "There's still an alternative method left open to us."

One of the Section Two agents approached the commander. "Sir!"  
"Where is Dr. Akagi now?" Gendo asked.  
"In a holding cell. She was reported to us by Major Katsuragi."

"Did anyone else see this?"  
"The Third Child was summoned down here by the director. Major Katsuragi followed him here and then brought Dr. Akagi to us directly and informed us of what happened."

"I see."

"It's problematic that they both saw this," Futsuyuki commented.  
The commander was stern. "By this time it no longer matters." He addressed the senior agent standing next to them. "Continue to allow the First Child freedom of movement but double her security."  
"Yes, sir."

Gendo looked at one of the Section Two agents in the room, a very tall, muscular man in his 20s who was poking around the plant control terminal. He was an unfamiliar face to the commander. "Who is that?"  
"It's Kikuchi, sir. He replaces Sato. Don't worry, he's very trustworthy."  
"What happened to Sato?"  
"Died in an auto accident yesterday, sir."

"Tell him to not be too nosy and remind him of what happens to cats who get too curious."

"Yes, sir." The senior agent went to speak to his subordinate at the two commanders continue to look at the silently drifting pieces of Rei inside the storage tank.

* * *

_Australia_

_The following evening..._

Patrick stood outside on the desert floor and watched aircraft buzz overhead in the night. Pine Gap and Alice Springs were now crowded with soldiers, airplanes, and all sorts of war-making equipment. The nearby runways were lined up and down with fighters, bombers and others. He walked over to the giant tarp that was laid out by one of the runways. Patrick passed the armed sentries (who let him through with only a cursory glance), ducked underneath the tarp and saw the silver-white Unit 04, his own EVA, lying face up on the ground.

The boy walked along the length of the EVA, occasionally letting his hand slide across the surface of its legs. As he walked alongside Unit 04 he could feel the warmth of the Evangelion. The EVA hadn't had that sensation before. Up until now the EVA had felt cold, like a statue that came to life for bits at a time. Now with the S2 installed the surface of the EVA was warm and radiating and it felt to Patrick to even be slightly quivering. It was as if now she was truly alive.

_I'll still be here for you_, she had said to him. As he slowly caressed his comparatively tiny hand in a crevice of the EVA's left hand he wondered if she could feel him there, if she knew his presence. If he were suddenly put in danger, would she react? He squeezed the hand a little and felt, just so subtly, a pulsing where his hand was. Patrick stood there for a moment, thinking _she did know. How could she not?_

The pilot kept walking and noticed standing outside the tarp was Dr. Foch, dressed as always in his white lab coat. Foch wasn't doing anything but just staring at the nighttime sky. Patrick left the EVA and walked over to join him.

Foch turned his head when he noticed the boy standing next to him. "Oh, you're up and about?"

"Yeah, I wanted to see my EVA."

"She's all right," Foch replied. Patrick nodded in agreement and smiled a little to himself. They both went back to watching the skies.

After a few minutes, Patrick said "I don't recognize anything up there."

"That's because we're in the Southern Hemisphere. The constellations are completely different here. If you see there a bit to the left, low in the sky," Foch pointed it out. "There is the Southern Cross."

"Oh. It's not very large..."  
"But it's bright. Right above it is Centauri, and you can see Alpha Centauri low and to the left of the constellation."  
"I see it."  
"Yes. That's our closest neighbor, Alpha Centauri is. You wouldn't know it by just looking at it, would you?"

"That's true..." They were both silent again for a few more moments.

Foch took off his glasses and rubbed them. "When I was a young doctor in the French military, I was once stationed in New Caledonia. It was an island just northeast of Australia. It's not there anymore – the ocean swallowed it during Second Impact, but I remember when I was there every night I'd go out of my bungalow and look up at the sky and I'd wonder if they have all of the same problems up there we do down here." Patrick just looked at the old scientist as he cleaned his glasses and put them back on again. Foch didn't look back at him but continued on.

"I put fifteen years of my life into EVA, trying to claw my way to the top of the ladder of scientific prowess. Eventually I found my way to Second Branch and your father. Let's just say it wasn't a happy relationship." Patrick laughed a little to himself on hearing that. "But we needed each other if his plan to one-up the Japanese was to succeed. Finally he found himself at the head of Second Branch and having no further use for me I was promptly put on a one-way plane trip to the East Coast."

Dr Foch folded his hands behind his back as he scanned the skies. "After being so unceremoniously booted out, I thought my entire world had come to an end. All my important efforts on this project and there I was suddenly without work, tossed aside like so much garbage. I felt quite horrible, so horrible that I momentarily considered opening the airplane door and flinging myself outside." The scientist took a deep breath. "And then when I got out of the plane and saw the television with the reports of the disaster in Nevada, I knew that at that moment I was the luckiest man alive!"

"On that day I suddenly had a new perspective on life, thanks to you I should say," Foch turned to Patrick and smiled. "If it hadn't been for what you did I wouldn't be part of this, perhaps better endeavor."

Patrick didn't smile back but looked down on the ground, digging at the dirt with this shoes. "I don't really feel good about what happened."

"That's to be expected, I'm sure," Foch told him. "And it is true that it's a tragedy for many, but your father had no business screwing around with something he didn't comprehend. He was a second-rate scientist and a first-rate hacker, I always told him. He of all people should have understood the lengths the EVA would go to defend the pilot inside of her."

Foch looked back at the stars again. "Not long from now if things don't go right, there may not be anyone left on Earth to appreciate what we're seeing now." Foch put his hands in his pockets and started to walk back to the EVA. Turning again to Patrick, he said "I could certainly understand that you wouldn't want to be anyone's pawn, but I think now you've got the freedom to choose just what you want to be. That is, if you know what it is that you want." Foch then continued to walk to the tarp-covered EVA.

Patrick watched Foch walk back and crawl underneath the tarp, and then turned his attention again to the nighttime sky. _If you know what it is that you want. Well, _Patrick thought, _I do know, don't I?_

On one level he admitted to himself he was very weary of the burden that EVA had given him. His complete understanding of he was doing, who and what he was struggling for, had been destroyed when his father admitted it was he who had set up Vance and the Alliance for disaster. Patrick had been spared but only to complete his part in concluding his father's _gotterdammerung_. Finally at that moment Patrick had found his strength and with thoughts of Rei Ayanami in his head he called on the complete power of the EVA. EVA had come through, but at a horrible price.

Unfortunately now Rei was also dead. Somehow he couldn't get his mind wrapped around that, even though he had seen the video of EVA-00 self-destructing. Not her of all people, he had hoped. There was something special about her, something untouchable. Surely this was all some sort of joke and he knew he'd show up at Tokyo-3 and see her sitting in someplace quiet with her nose in a book.

_That's not going to happen_, he told himself.

She had died protecting Shinji. Rei, who Patrick's father had told him was herself cloned from Shinji's mother, had gave herself up for the other pilot. Patrick thought that Shinji, as soft-spoken and gentle as he was, could not have taken Rei's death well at all Now Shinji was all alone and God knows what was coming next.

Patrick thought about Vance. _ Double-V, you asshole! Why didn't you freaking tell me what you were up to?_ He knew the answer to that already: as Vance had told him earlier Patrick's value was that he was the secret pilot, the fail-safe to everything. It was the reason why his mother had placed him with his uncle and they lived so remotely, and why his childhood had been so hard, so that he'd be there when he was really needed. _I guess I'm really needed now. _

_I wished there be a way I could go back in time and stop everything from happening at Tokyo-3, but it's too late for that now. _

_Vance didn't go to Tokyo-3 to kill Rei. She just followed orders and got in the way. He had really gone to stop Third Impact. And just like Rei, he also sacrificed himself for who he was protecting. _

_Now Shinji's all by himself. Sheffield said there might be as many as nine other EVAs, all against one. There's no way I can let him face that alone, with or without the Alliance. _

A few hundred yards from the tarp-covered EVA, there was another large tent with a large crowd inside. Patrick could hear from a loudspeaker the voices of Admiral Vinson and General Sheffield going over their attack plan with the rest of the commanders inside.

_Vance died trying to stop Third Impact. Rei died trying to protect Shinji. This time, protecting Shinji and stopping Third Impact are actually the same thing. The pieces are falling into place... _

Patrick walked into the large tent from the back and saw rows of military officers seated on folding chairs. Up in the front was a large display with a map, timetables and code names. Japan was at the center of the map, with arrows pointing at Tokyo-3 from Australia, Alaska, and from the Sea of Japan.

_I guess it's my turn now, because somewhere my twin Erin is still out there and I want her to still have the chance to look up at the stars at night. _

The pilot walked along an aisle as Vinson went over the plan with the other officers. "...Task Force Ares comes from our other base in Alaska, while Task Forces Apollo and Hercules will come in from Oz. Task Force Poseidon, positioned off the coast, has two Marine battlegroups that will also assault in conjunction. Prior to the air assault our air wings will launch a Time-On-Target missile wave over the battlespace, with the aim of destroying as many enemy vehicles and air defense units as possible before our units arrive on the field. "

Vinson saw the boy in the distance but continued his briefing. "Opposition at NERV is estimated to be light, perhaps only a few companies of security personnel. They have Evangelions but it's expected they may not engage immediately. On the other hand, we know the Japanese government is gearing up for an assault with their Strategic Self Defense Force and they are coming in with a reinforced mechanized division and most of their special operations units. Our goal is to put our forces between the Japanese and NERV while we work out control of NERV and their Geo Front, one way or another."

Vinson changed the map to an image of one of SEELE's bat-wing like aircraft in flight, with a humanoid figure mounted underneath it. "Now a spoiler in all this is what you see here: It's highly likely that we will meet up with this thing, which is a mass-production Evangelion unit. Unfortunately we don't know much about these but we can assume that their combat performance is equivalent to the EVAs we know. That means AT fields, so conventional weapons are useless and only N2s may slow them down."

Colonel Burke, seated in the front row of the briefing, spoke up. "If conventional weapons are useless, how the hell are we supposed to stop these things if they show up?"

"As you probably know we have obtained special assets to deal with this threat. Special asset #1, code-named MANTIS, is already in theater. The availability of Special asset #2," Vinson eyed Patrick as he walked up to the front of the briefing tent, "is still being determined." As Vinson looked at Forrestal everyone else in the tent was silent, nearly all of them staring at the boy. Patrick just stood there.

"Can I help you with something, son?"

Patrick looked down at the ground for a moment and took a deep breath. Feeling the heavy weight of the gaze of the others, he spoke weakly. "They said you needed help", he said, looking at the admiral. "I...we...can help."

Vinson didn't smile but breathed just a little easier. "Thank you."

"I have a condition!" Patrick blurted out.

"What is it?"

"I won't attack Shinji!" he stammered. "Er, I mean I won't fight EVA-01. Or any of the other NERV EVAs. But I'll do whatever else you need me to do."

Vinson looked at Sheffield, who gave a nod and a slight smile. "If we do this right," the admiral told him, "it won't come to that. Agreed?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, welcome aboard. Please have a seat." Vinson motioned to the front row of the most senior commanders. Patrick looked for a seat but didn't see an open one until Colonel Burke stood up and gave Patrick his own. Burke then stood next to him with his arms folded. The rest of the commanders in the row gave him just a quick glance and then focused their attention back to Admiral Vinson on the podium. Someone handed Patrick a blue binder that contained a variety of maps, charts and plans. On the cover of the binder were the words OPERATION OLYMPIC and an image of the Alliance's red Phoenix logo. Patrick looked up at Admiral Vinson as he continued.

"Special Asset #2," the commander glanced again at Patrick, "code-name GABRIEL, will arrive along with Task Force Apollo. Now, there is a chance that JSSDF may beat us to the Geo Front In that situation we will call audible RED PHOENIX and implement the alternative assault plan here..."


	11. Chapter 10

_Tokyo-2_

Mari's mission seemed simple enough. Upon confirming that she indeed did know how to use a parachute (having done it several times before), Musashi provided her with information on the Fourth Child as well as his friends and family. Her mission was to make contact with Toji Suzahara, working through a third party who would be one of his closest friends. Mari was seen as a good candidate for the mission by both Musashi and General Sheffield, as it was thought she would be unknown and unsuspected to any one putting Suzahara or his family under surveillance.

Once she made contact with the boy Mari was to confirm his location and then arrange for a pickup by Alliance special operations units waiting offshore. Hopefully after explaining that his and his family's life were in danger, Suzahara would go willingly.

When Mari asked Musashi why he was so concerned about a former pilot, he replied that SEELE would work to clean up any "loose ends" which meant that it was likely that they would try to kill Suzahara in the same way they had tried to kill her. Toji's case was tragic to be sure, nearly killed as his EVA was "possessed' by the 13th Angel. Musashi had told Mari that if anything else had happened to him as a result of his short but horrible tenure as a pilot, he couldn't forgive himself for allowing it. This deep concern indicated to Mari that Musashi knew the Japanese pilots first-hand, and perhaps quite well. Given that she owed her own life to his timely intervention, Mari agreed to the mission provided she could join the battle in her own EVA once it started. Musashi then told her it was already arranged.

Early that morning while the skies were still dark, Mari Illustrious dove out of a MC-130 transport ten thousand feet above Nagano prefecture in the Japanese Alps. Nagano was now home to Tokyo-2, the rebuilt national capital of Japan itself. She loved the thrill of skydiving, first having done it when she was twelve, and kept her parachute closed nearly all the way to safety altitude. Once she landed in a nearby school athletic field, Mari quickly gathered her black vinyl parachute and jump suit, placed then in another black vinyl bag and then threw them in a garbage can next to the field. She then hurried off the field and into the city itself.

Underneath her jump suit Mari had worn her St. James's school uniform: white collared shirt with tie and school crest, burgundy and black plaid skirt, and black stockings and loafers. Because it was Japan, she had thought the school uniform might actually help her blend in a bit better, enough at a quick glance to pass for a local.

Musashi's information had led Mari to Suzahara-kun's classmate, who was unknowingly tracked through his mobile phone (and how he did that Musashi didn't care to explain to her). Somehow it was known that the friend would be on a train from Tokyo-2 to Osaka-2 that morning. Mari was to find him at the main Tokyo-2 station and make contact with the boy, hopefully being led to Suzahara later that day.

Kensuke Aida stood at the platform waiting for the white _shinkansen_, or bullet-train, to arrive. He had texted to Toji earlier that week that once settled down more in his new apartment in Tokyo-2, he could come out to see him again in Osaka-2. This time Hikari and her family would also be there, so it would be a reunion of sorts.

Wanting to be in Osaka-2 by late morning Aida had chosen an early train from Tokyo-2. The platform wasn't very crowded, as it was late December and many offices were closed for winter holidays. Kensuke just stood there and waited for the train, using the time to set up his DV camera for what would hopefully be some interesting scenery from the windows.

Aida-kun's father was a senior officer in NERV security and specifically the mobile defense units that used to guard Tokyo-3. Some days earlier he had been suddenly laid off from NERV, along with nearly all of the personnel from his unit. This had prompted the hasty move to Tokyo-2 by the Aidas, made hastier by the destruction of the city center by EVA-00's implosion. Kensuke, who already didn't get along with his father very well, hated the move. If the rumors were true that the JSSDF was actually going to assault NERV in the next few days, Kensuke wanted to be there and see the battle in all of its glory. Unfortunately he had to comply with his father's wishes and had thrown all of this cameras, computers and media into shipping boxes and packed off to Tokyo-2.

Once in the capital his father had gotten a message from an old Japanese SDF comrade and immediately left the new apartment without even unpacking. He gave Kensuke an envelope with a large amount of cash and a note telling him not to "do anything stupid" which the boy interpreted as trying to go back to Tokyo-3 and watch the battle. As he couldn't find transport back to Tokyo-3 anyway, Kensuke had decided to hang out with the recovering Toji.

Kensuke finished preparing his new video card and used the camera to scan around the train platform. He panned around looking for anyone interesting to catch on video and noticed a pretty girl with glasses wearing a school uniform walking down the escalator and looking around for someone. He focused on her a bit, moving the camera upwards on the girl from her shapely long legs to her pretty, pale face with dazzling blue eyes and her brown hair in twin tails.

_Wow! She's pretty cute! Nice legs and everything. She's got blue eyes - Is she gaijin?_

Kensuke kept the camera on her and noticed that the girl was now looking directly at him. Normally when girls caught him filming they tended to get pretty angry, but this girl just looked at him and smiled.

_She's checking me out! _Kensuke continued to film her with the camera as she walked towards him and in a few seconds she had in fact moved right up to him, smiling all the way. Once she was standing next him Kensuke pulled the camera down and stared at the tall beauty, desperately trying to think of a pickup line that would actually work.

"Excuse Me?" she asked him in perfect Japanese with a sweet smile. "Is your name Kensuke Aida?"

Kensuke just melted. _She even knows my name! _"Um...why, yes. Yes it is!"

"Terrific. My name's Mari...Mari Makinami."

"Mari? Are you a foreigner?"  
_So much for passing myself as a local_, Mari thought. "Quite. I'm part-British. Anyway, I'm trying to do a favor for a mutual friend and I'm looking for someone you might know who lives in Osaka-2. His name is Toji Suzahara. Do you happen to know him?"

_Oh, damn. Toji gets all the girls._ "Uh...yes. In fact I'm going to see him now. A mutual friend?"

Mari told him the name Musashi gave her to use and Kensuke seemed to know it. "Oh. Come to think of it I haven't seen him around for a while!"

"Yes. In any case he was quite concerned for Suzahara-kun and wanted me to check up on him. Would it be possible if I could meet him?"

"Sure. I'm sure he's always up to meet someone so...charming." Mari smiled wider at that. "Thanks," she said. "You don't know how relieved I am to find you!" They both saw the train coming at the platform and as soon as it stopped they walked on board, finding seats in the coach section. Kensuke had a ticket but Mari needed to purchase it from the vending machine inside the train itself. Upon finding seats they continued their conversation.

"How did you find me, anyway?" Kensuke asked her curiously.

"It's sort of a coincidence, really. I knew that your friend now lived in Osaka-2 so I had planned on taking the train there this morning, but I had your name and description so when I saw you on the platform I was quite happy to run into you." While talking Mari was careful to scrunch up her skirt and cross her long legs, affording the boy sitting next to her a very good view. "I terribly hope you don't mind me troubling you with this?"  
Kensuke had to struggle to keep his focus off her legs as she gently ran her hands down to her knees. "Oh, no! Not at all! But how is it that you know..."  
Mari looked at him and smirked, whispering "Let's just say I know why they call him the Fourth Child."

Kensuke took a deep breath as his eyes went wide. _She knows about EVA!_He looked around and tried to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation, but the bullet train interior was mostly empty. They both spoke in hushed tones. "If you know about _that _then you have to know what happened to Suzahara-kun."

"Yes, I know it's tragic. I hope that he's recovering well."

"He gets around now, so I guess he's better. Too bad he never actually got into a real fight."

The girl calculated that she firmly had Kensuke on the hook, and thought to herself that she rather liked this spy business. "Have you actually seen them, you know, in action?"  
Kensuke excitedly looked around again to make sure no one was listening. "Yeah, I..." He thought to start with his first-hand accounts of EVA but something just occurred to him. _Why should Toji get all the fun?_

"Actually," Kensuke looked around again and then straightened his eye glasses, giving Mari a very serious look. "I've seen some action myself."

Mari whispered back to him "Really? Do tell!"

Kensuke cleared his throat and then looked at Mari with absolute sternness. "I've been involved in several Angel battles. It's a deadly business, but we always manage to pull it together."

"Fascinating! Do you have your own..."

"I do. Originally my unit was the fourth one."

"Really?"

"Yes, but something happened to it. So I volunteered for a new unit and they gave me the next one, Unit 05." Upon hearing that Mari had to really work to suppress giggling, but with a wide smile on her face she continued leading him on. "And then..."

On the ride to Osaka-2 Kensuke spent the next two hours spinning to Mari an outrageous tale of how he, along with the other EVA pilots, had heroically defended Earth against the Angels and how he was currently on extended leave as his unit was being repaired from extensive battle damage. Given as he had actually been inside of an EVA plug and had witnessed two battles himself as a spectator, he was able to provide a significant amount of detail enough to where anyone else would have been convinced of his participation. Anyone except an actual EVA pilot, of course.

* * *

_Australia_

In the intelligence center at Pine Gap Musashi stood over a thermal printer as an image was slowly processed. Beforehand a technician next to him had adjusted the image sent to them by the Alliance's agent inside of NERV, and then sent it to the printer when it was fully decompressed. Musashi grabbed the photo as soon as it was off the printer and looked at it carefully. He picked up his mobile phone as he ran out of the door and down the hall to the commander's office.

Not finding Vinson in his office he ran further down the hall to General Sheffield's office where he found Sheffield and Vinson going over plans for the upcoming operation. Musashi reached the open door and knocked on it. As both of the commanders turned to see him, Musashi quickly entered the room and showed both of them the photograph.

"This is from Alpha?" Sir John referred to their agent inside NERV as he studied the photo.

"Yes, transmitted just a moment ago."

The photograph showed an image of a 14-year old boy with silver hair and pale skin walking along a hallway in the Geo Front. Next to the boy however was a very familiar looking girl with blue hair and red eyes, and wearing a blue and white schoolgirls' uniform.

"Well, I'll be damned! There's not a scratch on her!" Vinson observed.

"I take it she's not the original?" Sheffield asked Musashi.

"Presumably so. If anything this underlies the importance she may play in any scenario Ikari is working on."

"Who's the boy?" Vinson asked.

"He's identified as Kaworu Nagisa and designated the Fifth Child. No information on him other than a birth date."

Sheffield took another good look at the boy. "He has a similar appearance to her, including red eyes. Are they related in some way I wonder?"

Musashi pointed at the photo as he spoke. "I think the safe assumption is that he's an 'artificial person' much like her."

Vinson turned his attention back to the new incarnation of Rei. "Johnny, could Alpha get to her?"

"She's guarded from a distance by their Section Two but with some patience he could do it."

"Right. Tell him to pick her up." Vinson looked at Musashi. "Any progress with the locals?"

"They've made some arrangements with military and other security units, although they have to work carefully as they've now come under surveillance from the JSSDF."  
"Let them know that we're just about ready to get this party started and that there's no time for a kabuki here. They have to move fast if this is going to work."

"Understood." Musashi then left the office and ran back to the intelligence center.

Sir John kept looking at the photograph as Vinson went back to the planning table. "Shouldn't we tell the Forrestal boy about this?" the general asked him.

"No," Vinson replied without looking up from the table. "Right now he's where he needs to be mentally. Showing him this would only complicate things." Sheffield said nothing but just tucked the photograph into his shirt pocket.

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Misato was in her office as Lt. Hyuga knocked once at the door. He nervously looked down the corridor outside to be sure they were alone, then slipped in the room. Misato swiveled her chair and looked up at him as he came in.

"Section Two says they captured the Second Child alive," Hyuga told her.

Misato breathed a sigh of relief. After being unable to move her EVA in the battle with the 16th Angel, Asuka's pilot status had been revoked and she had run away from home as a result. Misato had been very worried about Asuka and pressured Section Two all week to locate her, along with her own efforts to contact her through friends and others she knew.

While she was glad Asuka was found, Misato also knew it wasn't like Section Two to lose track of the EVA pilots so easily. Something was amiss.

"I see. They found her seven days after they missed her running away. This isn't like them."

Makoto Hyuga lowered his voice. "Maybe they 'lost' her on purpose, then. They're trying to screw up Operations."

"Possibly," the Major concurred, also in a low voice. _And today with the Fifth Child arriving to replace Asuka, this just fits in too neatly._

"Keep your eyes and ears open," Misato told her assistant. "If we're really getting close to the end we may see more crap like this."

Hyuga nodded. "Got it." He then left the room quietly.

Misato sat in the chair and parsed over current events in her mind, trying to work out a plan of action. _ Kaji disappeared soon after the Vice Commander was rescued…from SEELE. Rei is sacrificed and then brought back, and they were mass producing her downstairs. Asuka is conveniently lost and a new pilot suddenly appears. The commander puts Unit 01 on hold since gaining the S2 engine. Ritsuko suddenly freaks out. The Mass Production EVAs are nearly complete, but none of them are being sent here to fight Angels. Now the NERV security budget is cut. They're setting the stage for Instrumentality, and lowering our defenses step by step. _

_And Shinji will be the next target._

Misato opened her desk drawer and pulled out her automatic pistol. While it was always loaded, she ejected the magazine and examined it to be sure and then slammed it into the pistol again. She then checked the sights by aiming at a coffee cup on her desk. Satisfied, she placed the gun down on the desk and took out the holster from the drawer. Misato quickly strapped the holder on, inserted the pistol and then put her red officer's jacket over it. From this moment until things ended she would always be armed.

She took another swig at the coffee and had the sudden sensation to pee. _I suppose I'm too nervous. I'm drinking coffee like it's going out of style!_ Misato left her chair and walked out of her office to a nearby lavatory.

In front of the lavatory she saw some custodian cleaning the floor right in front of the doorway. She thought to find another restroom but the closest one she knew was too far away.

"Excuse me?" she asked the custodian. "Is this restroom open?"

The custodian turned around and faced her. Misato looked at his face and for a moment thought that she saw Kaji. She shook her head and realized that of course the custodian wasn't him. For one thing he was probably a good ten centimeters taller than Kaji, but he did have a younger face hidden behind a large black mustache. _I must be really stressed out to think this guy is Kaji_. _But that face, I've seen it before somewhere…_

"Yes, Ma'am. You can go right in," the custodian said in a gruff voice, looking up at her only briefly.

"Right. Thanks!" Misato hurried in the lavatory and noticed that out of three stalls two were taped over with yellow tape with the characters "Under Repair" printed on them. The third stall in the middle was still available, so she quickly entered it.

After fulfilling her biological needs Misato just sat there on the toilet seat. She had been doing her best to keep up appearances but seeing the man outside just brought Kaji back into her mind, and as a result she felt tears coming down and became choked up yet again. She bit into her knuckles out of frustration.

_Dammit, Kaji! Why the hell do you have to leave me alone like this? I need you right now! If there's ever a time I needed you, it's now!_

She fought to regain her composure. Kaji was dead. Even though there wasn't an official word, they all knew it. And crying wouldn't bring him back. The officer shook her head to get her self back in order and tried to put her mind back on what things were now important, such as preparing for the last Angel.

Misato reached for the toilet paper in the stall and just as she was about to use it she noticed there was writing in black ink. She gasped as she read it.

HELP IS COMING

PROTECT THE PILOTS

_Who wrote this?_ She thought. Reading it again she knew the message was meant for her, and she knew she had been guided to this spot.

Misato quickly pulled up her tights and skirt and pushed open the stall door to run outside the bathroom, the toiled paper crinkled in her hand. As she got outside all she saw were two orange cones standing in front. The "custodian" was nowhere to be seen.

_That face! I do know it!_

* * *

_Osaka-2_

Waiting for Kensuke in Osaka-2 were Toji and Hikari. Hikari stood next to Toji and his wheelchair at the top of a flight of steps that was across the street from the front of the Osaka-2 train station. Toji had wanted to wheel down the access ramp and wait for Kensuke at the bottom of the stairs but Hikari strenuously objected, afraid that he might not be able to push himself back up the steep incline.

"Shouldn't he be here by now?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah," Toji said. "He probably stopped to videograph a tank or something. That would be just like him."

"Why does he like that stuff, anyway?"  
"Don't really know. It gives him a purpose in life, I suppose." In his impatience Toji thought to roll down the access ramp anyway but thought better of it. Hikari was being a big help to him and his family in a lot of ways and annoying her like that would not get on her good side. He felt a buzzing in his jacket pocket and picked up his mobile phone. Kensuke had sent him a message.

B OUT SOON. MET BABE ON TRAIN THAT WANTS 2 MEET U.

Toji groaned as Hikari asked him what the message was. "A 'babe' on the train wants to meet _me_, he says."

Hikari raised her eyebrows. "A _babe_?"

"Right. What kind of girl could _he_ pick up?"

A moment later they spotted Kensuke walking out of the front door of the station. With him was a tall, slender girl with glasses wearing a burgundy and white school uniform, her long brown hair braided in twin tails. Kensuke saw them at the top of the stairs and waived excitedly.

"That bastard!" Toji exclaimed. "And a foreign girl no less! She is waaay too good for him."

"I suppose even he gets lucky sometimes," Hikari replied coldly.

Toji was about to shout at Kensuke when he noticed that two burly men dressed in black suits and sunglasses had walked up next to him and Hikari. Hikari gasped upon seeing the two men and quickly moved behind the back of Toji's wheelchair. One of them looked straight at Toji. "Are you Toji Suzahara?"

"Yeah, who wants to know?"

The man placed is hand to his ear, which had an earpiece inside. "Fourth Child identified and acquired. Proceeding with termination."

"Termination?" Toji yelled. "Hey, I'm not even a pilot anymore!"

"Toji! Look out!" Hikari cried.

As the two men reached into their jackets to pull out weapons, Toji quickly grabbed one of the crutches that were held in a pocket on the side of the wheelchair, and swung it down hard on the head of the man closest to him. He then quickly swung the crutch like a baseball bat into the stomach of the other man just as he was pulling out his pistol. As both men cringed in pain, Toji let go of the crutch and grabbed a shocked Hikari by the arm. Pulling her into his lap, he told her "Hang on!"

Before the two men could recover the boy then quickly took off the wheelchair's brake and spun his wheels, pushing the chair rapidly down the steps.

"Who are those men?" Hikari asked with a terrified look.

"Hell if I know," Toji replied as he tried to lean back the chair to prevent both of them from falling on the steps. Several shots ran out and Toji could see concrete from the steps ricochet on his way down.

Toji tried to the angle the wheelchair to turn sideways and around the corner of the steps. He almost made it, turning around an embankment but then he fell face forward on top of Hikari. He quickly tried to push himself up on his hands, while Hikari used her own weight to help him get up. She then positioned herself under his left shoulder so she could prop him up on his good leg. They looked behind them and saw the two men at the top of the steps get into a black sedan. At the foot of the steps was the wheelchair, now smashed up from the collision with the concrete. Running up to them at the bottom of the steps were Kensuke and Mari.

"Are you alright?" Mari asked him.

"Who the hell are you?" he shot back.

"I'm Mari. Quickly, we've got to get out of here." Mari turned around and spotted an alleyway that she thought would be hard for them to be followed into. At the same time she fingered a transponder hidden under her skirt waistband, signaling that they were in immediate danger. Kensuke got on the other side of Toji and helped him get up along with Hikari, and the three of moved hobbled behind Mari as she ran for one of the small alleys in front of them.

"Did you see those guys?" Toji asked Kensuke.

"JSSDF, I think," he replied as he strained under Toji's weight. "This is bad news. We gotta hide you!"

Mari ran through the little alley and searched all around trying to find a place to evade the men while the others slowly lurched behind. She fingered the transponder again but there was no response and her phone didn't buzz either. "Damn! They're supposed to be coming!"

"Who's they?" Hikari asked.

"The Alliance," Mari replied as she searched for an exit to the alley. "You've become a target and we're here to get you out!"

Toji turned to Kensuke. "Where did you _find _this girl?"

Mari ran around the corner of the alley and found that it dead-ended next to an office building. She turned around and saw the three classmates in front of her and then a black sedan pulling up behind them with two large men getting out of the car. A black SUV pulled up as well. On seeing Mari's worried expression Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke turned around and saw the two vehicles and the black-clad men moving deliberately towards them. A straining Toji shot Mari a dirty look. "You set us up!"

"No! They're supposed to be here!" she retorted, but she saw the men approaching and knew she had to act. Without saying anything further she took from her handbag what appeared to be a one-foot long bamboo pipe and then rolled a switch with her hands. The pipe quickly telescoped into a six-foot _bo-ken_. With the _bo-ken_ fully extended Mari yelled a battle cry and charged at the two men in front.

The three students watched as Mari swung around the staff before the two men could again draw their weapons, slamming one in the head and the other in the gut. Both crumpled to the ground. Another two men came and she again attacked, swinging the _bo-ken_ over her head and crashing it on one of the men's shoulders. She then crouched down on one knee and spun around the _bo-ken_, landing it into the face of the other man. As she recovered her attack another agent slipped behind her and when she turned her head to see who was behind her, the agent slammed his pistol directly between her shoulder blades. Yelping in pain, Mari released her staff and dropped to the ground. The agent behind her promptly put his knee against her back and held the pistol to her head.

Upon seeing Mari's defeat the others tried to evade capture but the men grabbed each of the other three, with two of them holding down Toji to the ground on his one knee. Toji himself tried mightily to shake them off but one of the men landed a karate chop to his collar bone and the boy went down again.

With all four teenagers now being held by the agents the man who had first attacked Toji walked towards him, his face bruised from the melee. He spoke into his earpiece. "Target reacquired. Commencing with termination." Above them was the sound of a helicopter flying low to the ground.

As the agent slid back the action on his pistol, Hikari screamed at him. "Don't kill him! He's not even a pilot anymore! What has he ever done to hurt anybody?"

The agent glanced at Hikari. "Orders, miss." The agent then aimed the pistol point-blank at the base of Toji's neck. "SOMEBODY HELP! TOJI! NO!" Hikari kept screaming, until the agent that held her arms back covered her mouth with her hand.

Hikari kept trying to struggle and cry out until Toji, his face pale, looked at her and said "Class Rep! Class Rep!" Hikari stopped trying to shout but kept struggling.

"Class Rep," Toji said more softly. The girl stopped resisting and looked at him, trembling. "Please take care of my sister, will ya?" He weakly smiled at her and Hikari nodded, her whole body now shaking. Toji then stared at the ground in front of him.

_So this is how it ends, then. Hikari...So many things undone. God, please don't let anything happen to her or the others..._

He closed his eyes as the agent prepared to fire. In the background there was the sound of screaming and cars honking. Hikari was frozen in fear and unable to speak while Mari was still sprawled on the ground, the agent's foot still on top of her. Kensuke tried to wriggle free again but the agent holding him pulled his arms further behind his back and he cried in pain. "Dammit, let him at least die like a man!" he shouted.

Unable to bear it any longer Hikari closed her eyes tightly. When she did so she heard several pops and felt something splash against her face, and then she heard the sound of something heavy thumping to the ground. Terrified, she screamed and kept her eyes closed until the agent released her arms behind her.

Not hearing any sound but smelling the acrid scent of gunpowder Hikari opened her eyes again. Toji was sprawled on the ground and so were the two agents that were holding him down. The agent who was about to shoot Toji was lying on his back with a crimson dot on his forehead, his pistol still in his hand. She glanced back and saw the agent who was holding her was also on the ground, his head lying in a pool of blood. She watched as Kensuke, no longer being held back, dove to where Toji lay. The one remaining agent had his gun drawn and tried to shoot in the direction of the cars until a knife suddenly appeared embedded in his neck and he went down.

Hikari quickly knelt down where Toji was lying as Kensuke tried to shake him. "Toji..." she said to him, hoping for a response. His eyes then flicked open and his face in an expression in shock. "Hikari...chan?"

"Dude, you're still alive!" Kensuke shouted as Hikari tightly embraced Toji while he was still on the ground. The three of them heard heavy footsteps and looked in the direction of the alleyway and saw four soldiers in green and blue camouflage standing there, weapons at the ready. One of them pulled off their helmet to reveal a dark-complexioned woman with an ornamental tattoo on her chin. She immediately went to where Mari was lying and knelt down.

"Lusty! Oh, God are you alright?"

Mari got on her knees and shook her head a bit. She then looked up and exclaimed "Wellie!"

"Are you hurt?" Wellington asked. Mari got up and dusted herself off. "A bit sore on the back but otherwise I think I'm okay. Where were you? That was _too_ close!"

"Sorry, we came as quick as we could." Lieutenant Wellington then walked over to where Toji was lying, as Hikari and Kensuke both tried to help him up. "Are you Toji Suzahara?" she asked him in accented Japanese. Toji saw the soldier's tattoed face and nearly screamed.

"Are you going to shoot me, too?" Toji said to Wellington.

"No. We're here to get you to safety. Come with us please, all of you." Two of the soldiers then came over to help Toji off the ground. Kensuke stood up and looked at Mari and the soldiers. "Wow! That was awesome!"

"Shut up, Aida," Toji said as Hikari nestled under his shoulder. "Where are you taking us?" he asked Wellington. "To the _Liberator," _she replied. "It's an assault ship offshore."

Hikari suddenly stopped. "I can't leave here!" she told the officer. "My family's all here...I can't just leave them!"

Without saying anything Wellington reached into a pocket and grabbed a PDA, showing the screen to Hikari. "Is this them?"

On the screen of the device Hikari and the others saw a digital photo taken somewhere outside the Suzahara's home. In the photo several solders dressed in the same green and blue camouflage as Wellington were shown assisting members of both Toji's and Hikari's family outside of the house. One solider had Toji's little sister in his arms while another carried Nozomi, who was crying and clutching Pen Pen, who was also crying.

"Our other team picked them up a few minutes ago. When we didn't find Toji-kun there we went looking for you and picked up Mari's beacon from here."

"Are they okay?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, but again it was close. Everyone please hurry as they'll be back soon and in force."

The Alliance team hurried the children back through the alley and out by the train station. Hikari remembered that she heard a helicopter earlier and now saw why: a large twin-engine tilt-rotor was now on the ground in front of the Osaka-2 train station, surrounded with another team of soldiers at the ready. Many people had gathered by the station to watch and there was also a car wreck, no doubt caused by the sudden appearance of the aircraft.

"Holy shit, a CV-22!" Kensuke shouted. "This is fucking awesome!" He tried to reach into his pocket and grab his camera but a solider quickly grabbed his arm and shoved him inside the aircraft. The others quickly followed behind.

Once inside the aircraft a female crew chief quickly strapped in each of the children into a seat. While Kensuke grabbed his camera and started snapping away, Toji and Hikari sat silently as the crew woman pulled their harnesses on. When she finished with Hikari without saying a word the crew woman gave her a wet towelette and then hurried to her own seat by the front of the fuselage.

Hikari looked at the towelette. "What's this for?" she asked Toji. Toji motioned to her face. Hikari took the towelette, wiped her face and then looked at it. It was soaked with blood. Trembling, she looked at Toji. "Is this mine?"

Toji looked mournful. "No," he replied.

On hearing that Hikari broke down and cried, burying her head on Toji's shoulder. Toji took her hand and gently squeezed it.

After loading the rest of the soldiers the tilt rotor moved quickly upwards and above the train station. It hovered for a moment as its rotors rotated forward and then lurched off into the East.


	12. Chapter 11

_Tokyo-3_

In a secluded room at NERV's main hospital Shinji stood at the side of Asuka's bed. She was just lying there with her blue eyes open staring straight ahead at the ceiling. The young pilot had been brought in to the hospital earlier that day and Misato had called Shinji to let him know that Asuka was at least physically alright.

Once he had learned Asuka had been retrieved Shinji had rushed to the hospital and found the room they had put her in. He had joyfully bounded in, shouting "Asuka!" but she didn't respond to him, not even a little. Her eyes barely blinked. Shinji reached for her hand but felt that there was no movement, no strength. Instead the red-haired beauty just lay there silently in bed, with the only sounds in the room coming from her slight breathing and the electronic noise from the hospital monitors.

Shinji gently nudged her several times. "Asuka, Asuka, are you alright? Asuka, can you speak to me?" Each time he touched her there was simply no reaction.

The boy pilot was already at his wits end with all that had happened in the last few weeks. To him Asuka was his source of strength, the shelter that he could go to when things were tough. He didn't mind her bossiness or conceit or even her verbal abuse, though at times he admitted that it was too much for him. In their time together he had also seen her other side, the sweetness and exuberant life that she also carried inside and rarely showed to anyone. To Shinji, Asuka was the sun to his darkness, but now the light had gone out of her and it broke Shinji's heart even further to now see her lying so helpless.

"Asuka…please…please wake up!"

After standing there for about an hour, Shinji gave up and slowly walked out of the room. _Maybe she'll get better later on. Maybe she just needs to rest_ he thought to himself. He leaned against the wall of the hospital room and slid down to the floor with his head in his hands.

He had wanted to talk to Misato earlier but she was too busy for him now, spending all of her days busy at NERV and her nights shut up in her room. Her playfulness had disappeared since Kaji's death and Shinji missed that too.

There was someone else he also missed. He hadn't really spoken to her since she returned, if that was the correct word for it. _What do I _say_ to her_, Shinji asked himself. Spending a few minutes to build up his courage, he finally pulled out his cell phone and called a number he had never actually dialed before.

Her soft, whisper-like voice answered on the fourth ring. "Yes."

"Ayanami!" Shinji stammered. "Um…are you all right?" There was silence on the other end.

Shinji became more nervous as he tried to reach out to Rei. "Um…I hadn't really talked to you since you…since you came back. Anyway, I…I hope you're feeling better and, um, well, if there's anything that you need…or anything that you want to say…you know, you can just…you just can tell me. Is that OK?"

There was still silence on the other end of the line. "Ayanami….Ayanami?" Shinji pleaded with her further but without another word from her the phone clicked dead.

"Ayanami? Ayanami?" Shinji spoke into the phone to no avail. He then dropped the mobile phone on the floor and started crying uncontrollably.

He stayed that way for a while until he heard footsteps that stopped in front of him. Shinji looked up and saw the new pilot, Kaworu. Like Shinji he wore a blue and white school uniform. Kaworu looked down at him and smiled, and Shinji somehow found the strength to stop his crying. "K-Kaworu-kun!"

The silver-haired boy looked at him warmly with his deep red eyes. "What is wrong, Shinji Ikari?"

Compelled either by Kaworu's otherworldly friendliness or his own need to release his deep seated emotions, without even thinking Shinji then started to confess to the boy the complete contents of his heart.

* * *

Returning to her apartment at night Misato wearily opened the door and walked inside. This place seems so lonely now, she thought. Since Pen Pen had been given to Hikari for safe-keeping there was no one to greet her when she entered. Asuka was comatose in the hospital, and Shinji had not yet returned. She had spied on him earlier that day and knew he was spending time with the new pilot Kaworu Nagisa, as each seemed curious about the other.

_It's fine if he needs to bond with the new guy_, she thought to herself, _but something about the Nagisa boy just creeps me out_.

Misato went to the kitchen to get herself a beer. She absentmindedly pulled a tin of sardines out of the pantry until she realized that Pen Pen was not there tonight. Standing there for a moment to try to collect her thoughts (and keep from breaking down again), she then threw the tin back into the pantry and quickly finished her beer. She then grabbed a second beer and went straight for her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

As she had done every night for the last few weeks Misato turned on her PC and ran the security program that Kaji had put on there earlier. While she was waiting for the program to finish scanning for viruses and snoops she played the answering machine message as she did every night before.

Kaji's voice came on. He was speaking in a serious, almost solemn tone: "Katsuragi, this is me. I'm sure you are listening to this message after I have troubled you so much. Sorry..."

When Misato first played the message she had cried for hours. Despite her deep sadness she knew what Kaji was trying to say to her and the need to do so indirectly. As a result each evening as she used her computer to access the information that Kaji had left with her, she always played the message before starting her work in order to remind her of the importance of what she was doing as well as the possible consequences.

"Katsuragi," the message concluded, "The truth is with you. Don't hesitate. Go forward! If I can see you again, I will say the words I couldn't say eight years ago. Ciao." The message clicked off.

Misato still wanted to cry after hearing that but somehow each evening it got easier. That was important to her, as Kaji had given his life to learn the dark secrets of SEELE and NERV and had entrusted to her to finish the work that he had started.

Today something else had happened. The message in the bathroom and the mysterious "custodian" she had seen. Was Kaji somehow still alive? Perhaps trying to contact her? She didn't want to put too much hope in that, but maybe he had gotten word out to someone else, someone he knew? And she knew she had seen that man before.

Misato hopped out of her computer chair and went to her closet. Piled behind dozens of outfits were a stack of boxes in the back, boxes that were largely keepsakes that she was either too lazy or sloppy to properly unpack. She dug through the boxes and pulled out one that was just labeled "College."

She dug through the box which filled with a collection of small keepsakes from her university years. Much of it was souvenirs from travels she took while in school but there were also a couple of photo albums. She put one aside and opened another.

The album had been created in 2005 and so was slightly dusty, but the photos were well preserved. Misato opened the book to the first page and saw a photo taken of her and Kaji both sitting on top of his precious Porsche 911, a photo taken by Ritsuko. She stared at the photo for a moment as other memories came to her, memories of a happier time. Misato blinked hard and forced herself to turn the pages.

She sped through page after page of college snapshots, some taken on vacations and others on campus or around Tokyo-2. Many of the photos featured Ritsuko, or Kaji, or both, and it was unnerving to see them as their younger, happier selves. Misato wasn't looking for her old friends however but for someone she had met just once. After nearly going through the entire book she finally found who she had remembered.

Fastened to the photo album was a small photo taken from a digital camera and reprinted at a photo booth. The photo showed two young men: Kaji, and another Japanese man about twenty years of age and about ten centimeters taller than Kaji. He had narrow eyebrows, a strong jaw and a very sullen demeanor. Both were dressed in casual clothes.

"Hideyoshi Kikuchi," Misato whispered to herself. She had met him only once as he was visiting Kaji while on break from studying in the United Kingdom. Ritsu-chan and she had joked that Kaji's friend could be voted as "Most Likely to Become a Serial Killer," such was his gruff voice and overly serious manner. After the man had left, Kaji took Misato aside and told her he had known Kikuchi while they were both teenage boys fighting to survive after the destruction of Old Tokyo by a nuclear bomb. Kikuchi, along with Kaji, was one of the few survivors later picked up by authorities after months of living on their own in the horror of the Second Impact aftermath. During the experience the two boys had promised to find each other after their ordeal. _He was a bit older now_, thought Misato, _but behind that fake mustache it's the same person._

She thought back to the message she was given: "HELP IS COMING – PROTECT THE PILOTS." Help from _where_? she wondered. Certainly not the Japanese government: earlier as she drove back to her apartment she heard the Deputy Prime Minister frantically rail against NERV on the car radio. But who else was there? Then there was something else: did Kikuchi himself send the message, or did he carry it for someone else? The slightest glimmer of light started to appear in the back of Misato's mind.

Looking at the photograph of the two young men, Misato grabbed the cross hung around her neck. _Oh God, _she prayed_, please don't give me false hope but if there is any way at all that he is still alive…_

* * *

_Off the eastern coast of Japan_

The flight away from Osaka-2 was bumpy as the tilt-rotor flew low to avoid the Japanese radar. After ninety minutes the craft reached the ocean and the aircraft picked up some altitude, joining up with another Alliance CV-22 and flying together towards the carrier.

Mari sat silently next to Wellington on the trip back, drained of energy. Once they reached the ocean the girl felt more relaxed and started to catch up with her controller.

"How did you know about his family?" Mari asked.

"We've been in Osaka-2 since last night, but didn't get an exact fix on their location until this morning."

"What happened?"  
"Intel intercepted an order from JSSDF to send agents to their new house, conveniently giving them the street address. When we arrived they had just gotten out of their cars, so we hit them and then picked up the family. That's when we found out the boy was out by the rail station. We were on the way there when we got your distress call."

Mari blinked a few times. "Bloody scary, that was."  
"Of course," Wellie said. "Sorry but we didn't expect you'd have to face that on your own. You were pretty brave, though?"

"What do you mean?"

The officer smiled. "I saw the staff on the ground. What'd you do? Take them all on by yourself?"

"I couldn't just stand there and be a wallflower!" Mari shrugged. "I just kept thinking to myself I can't let these blokes get in the way of me piloting again."

Wellington chuckled. "That's Mari, focused as usual."

Mari wasn't as happy. "Screwed up that part though. I let one of those buggars get right behind me."

The older woman patted her on her leg. "I wouldn't say that. It was 6 to 1 and you bought us time to get to you. You did well. Fight like that in the EVA and they don't stand a chance!"

The girl became more elated when hearing that. "My EVA? Is it done yet?"  
"Dr. Viraat's been working night and day to get her ready. You're in for a bit of a surprise when you get back."

"Yes!" Mari clenched her fists in joy and then sighed deeply. "It's all worth it if I can get that far!"

While Wellington looked on Mari unfastened her harness and then walked carefully down the aircraft interior to where the other three children were seated. Hikari looked weary, her head resting on Toji's shoulder as he held her hand and silently looked on. Kensuke had run out of memory on his camera and was switching to a new card. She sat on the empty seat next to Hikari.

"Are you alright?" Mari asked. Toji and Hikari nodded and she smiled at them. "Sorry it was so messy."

Hikari lifted her head and took a deep breath to gain her composure. "Why did those men want to kill Toji? I mean, look at him," she glanced as his missing leg. "He can't even pilot anymore!"

"The Evangelion project isn't all what it seems," Mari replied, speaking in a more serious tone. "Now that the Angels are all defeated, there's a group called SEELE that is trying to use the EVAs to launch something called the Human Instrumentality Project. Before they do that they're trying to eliminate any loose ends, such as anyone capable of being an Evangelion pilot. That's why he was marked."

Kensuke stopped working with his camera and joined in the conversation. "What's the Human Instrumentality Project?"

"It's an attempt to use the power of the EVAs to force all humans into a single life form, as the next stage of man's evolution."

"What if we don't want to be forced?" Toji asked.

"I don't think they're going to ask for permission first," Mari curtly replied.

"This means they'll go after the other pilots, too, doesn't it?" Kensuke said.

"I'm afraid so. The Alliance is trying to secure NERV, the other EVAs and their pilots to prevent this from happening."

The two boys looked at each other. "Then they'll try to get to Shinji and Soryu-chan, won't they?" Toji said. Mari nodded.

"Who _is_ the Alliance?" asked Hikari.

"They're a group of former UN military officers and scientists who have found about the Instrumentality project and who have banded together in order to stop it."

Toji looked down at the soldiers in the aircraft. "Are they all foreigners?"

"Not all," Mari replied. "There's a few Japanese involved. Unfortunately the Japanese government is being pushed by SEELE to help do its dirty work."

"How did _you_ get here?" Kensuke asked her.

Mari smiled and batted her eyelashes. "I'm actually an EVA pilot! At least I'm trained as one."

"You're a _pilot_?" said Kensuke in utter surprise.

"That's right, but apparently not _officially_ so. I suppose it's a long story." Mari looked at Kensuke and smirked. "I suppose_ you're_ not official either?" Kensuke was speechless as his scam was uncovered in the most unlikely way. "Well, um...I have actually been inside the EVA you know!"

Toji narrowed his glace at his friend. "What the _hell _did you say to her?"

Aida's face began to turn bright red. "She seemed to know a lot about EVA so I decided to...embellish a little."

Hikari also got angry as the Class Representative inside of her finally reappeared. "Aida-kun!"

Kensuke leaned and whispered in Toji's ear, "You see how hot she is! Could you blame me?" Toji punched him hard in the shoulder. "Asshole!" Kensuke grabbed the new bruise in pain.

"Which EVA is yours?" Toji asked her.

"Unit 05," she replied. Kensuke's face became a deeper shade of red and he sheepishly turned his head. Mari playfully pounded on his knee. "Don't worry, old chap! You were quite convincing for a while. I found it all very entertaining."

"You could have at least said something," Kensuke whimpered.

"Are there any other EVA pilots?" Hikari asked her.

"There's an American boy also." Mari looked at Toji. "He says he knows you."

"Who?" Toji asked, but Kensuke and Hikari both gasped as they remembered. "Those two boys who came a couple of months before!" Hikari recalled.

"But they're dead!" Kensuke exclaimed. "Toji got one of their EVAs!"

"Yeah, no thanks!" Toji said.

"They found Patrick Forrestal and EVA-04 about a week ago in Nevada," Mari explained. "He's with the Alliance now. If they can convince him to pilot again, that is."

The classmates didn't say anything for a moment. Hikari had a sad look on her face. "Oh, no." she said mournfully.

"What is it?" Toji asked her.

"Forrestal-kun really liked Ayanami-chan. Now she's gone." she looked at Mari. "Does he know?"

"He knows."

* * *

_Australia_

Since he had reappeared Patrick had been so exhausted that deep sleep had come to him easily and he had been spared his nightly nightmares. This night however the nightmares came back with a vengeance.

Patrick saw himself standing in a large, dimly lit room which he vaguely recognized as part of the NERV-2 facility. Surrounding him were NERV personnel of all different types, operations staff in khaki & white uniforms, technical people in coveralls, and security personnel in camouflage. He looked around him and noticed that he was in the center of the room and that everyone was slowly moving towards him.

He looked around and tried to find a familiar face in the people around him, but then he noticed that their faces were somehow different. When one person came closer to him and he could see in the light he realized what it was: their eyes were gone, replaced by empty sockets with small red lights glowing out of them.

Patrick tried to back away from the crowd but found that he was surrounded by the mob which was moving closer to him and murmuring something. Chills went up and down his arms and legs, as he felt like this was some sort of a bad zombie movie, only it was actually real. Someone came up close to him from behind and the boy quickly turned around. Standing right next to him dressed in a white lab coat was his father, Dr. Harrison Forrestal. He still had the same appearance as he remembered him: tall with his white hair neatly combed back and his mustache and goatee, but like the others his eyes were also gauged out and replaced with red glowing dots.

"Why did you do this to us?" his father moaned at him.  
"What are you talking about!" Patrick screamed back at him.

"You killed us!" A voice was heard in the crowd. Other voices joined in. "You killed us! You killed us!"

"No! You're not dead!" Patrick shouted back.

"You don't know that!" this father answered back. "You let the EVA destroy us!"

"That's not what happened! She told me she put you someplace safe!"

"You selfish little brat!" His father told him. "We kept you safe and secure for your whole life, and this is how you reward us!"

"I didn't want to pilot again! Not to kill people!"

"But you didn't mind killing us!" The voices kept coming from the mob as it moved closer and closer to Patrick.

Patrick shouted angrily at this Father. "Why did you want to do this? People needed hope! But you were trying to end the world!"

"It's better this way!" Dr. Forrestal retorted. "The World didn't deserve to go on. I wanted to bring them peace!"  
"Screw you!" Patrick said and tried to find his way out of the encompassing mob of zombies.

Desperately he called out "Vance! Vance!" Patrick turned his head and found Vance standing next to him. Still wearing his black plug suit, his head still had a large hole in the side, with blood and ooze seeping out to his face.

"Vance!"

Vance smiled at him. "Dude, don't look at me! You brought this on yourself!" His eyes were not glowing like this others but instead were pitch black.  
"No!" Patrick panicked as he tried to push his way out of the crowd, as Vance heartily laughed as his frustration. The zombie NERV staffers now tried to grab him with their hands as Patrick looked for any way he could break free. He didn't know why he did it, but Patrick suddenly called out "Erin! Erin!"

As he pivoted around he saw her. Dressed in an orange plug suit like his own with her blonde hair cropped short, her eyes too were replaced with red glowing dots. Patrick shivered in fear as he saw her. Erin spoke to him with a mournful expression on her face. "You killed me. Why did you do that? Why?"

"NO!" Patrick screamed. He tried to push his way out but now the mob was upon him and he could feel himself being pushed down to the ground. _Oh God! Help me please! Please!_

As he was forced to the ground Patrick heard a _thump-thump-thumping_ sound above him. He tried to look up and saw a bright light shining down as a flurry of white feathers came down around him. The light from above became brighter and the mob of zombies backed away in fright. Patrick sensed they were withdrawing but still didn't get up off the floor as he was too paralyzed in fear.

Without moving he listened as the _thump-thump_ sound came very close, within a foot of where he was laying. The boy felt arms embrace him around his chest and hold him tight. Then the thumping increased with great force and with a whoosh Patrick felt himself lifted into the air.

Too weak to move, he was carried above the retreating mob of the others as they were frightened at the brightness of the light. He could feel himself pulled aloft high above the floor and through an opening in the room, and then out into the open night sky.

Patrick noticed the arms that were around him were pearl white and slender, the hands tiny and delicate. He turned his head to look at who was carrying him and he saw the face. A girl's face expressionlessly looked ahead of them with deep red eyes. He could see the wings behind her back flapping gracefully as she lifted him skyward, the angel's blue hair swaying with the wind. At that moment he relaxed all of his muscles and closed his eyes as he suddenly felt as safe as he had ever been in his life.

He woke up and just lay there in the bed for a long while afterward, running the dream in his head over and over again with tears in his eyes. _Rei, you can't be dead! You can't be!_


	13. Chapter 12

_Australia_

Admiral Vinson hurried into the command center as Sheffield and Musashi stood at the command platform along with another young female officer. Both of the others had earphones to their ears so they could listen to the live feedback they were now receiving.

"What's going on?" Vinson asked.

"NERV just went on alert again," Sheffield responded. "Alpha was willing to risk detection to put this on live feed." Vinson grabbed a headphone and also listened to the audio.

The audio feed was being sent via scrambled signal satellite phone so the voice on the end was crackly with much static in the background. Despite the background noise they could hear the agent's description of what he was observing.

"EVA-02 is penetrating into Central Dogma!"

"EVA-02?" Vinson asked.

"Something's not right," Musashi realized.

There was some more crackle on the audio feed, and then "EVA-02 is designated hostile target. EVA-01 ordered to engage."

Vinson turned to Sir John. "Wasn't there a new pilot?" Sir John put his finger over his lips as he tried to listen more carefully to the transmission. After more static the audio came up again. "Fifth Child has been re-designated as 17th Angel! Repeat. Fifth Child has been re-designated as 17th Angel! EVA-02 is under control of the Fifth Child!" All three of them said nothing as they tried to listen for more. There was some portion of audio that was inaudible, and then it came up again: "Heaven's Door! They've opened Heaven's Door!"

Vinson asked the Japanese agent "What happens if EVA-01 can't stop him?"

"If all else fails NERV will set off the N2 mines below the facility and blow up everything, with the hope that it would destroy or at least severely damage the Angels as well."

The British commander thought about that for a moment. "Would they set them off if we attacked them?" Sir John asked Musashi, who paused to think about the question. "I think it might depend on circumstance but there's certainly a risk."  
"Who controls the N2 mines?" Vinson asked.

"Central Dogma. There's probably an alternative way to activate them however."  
"A good point," Vinson said, "if we make it that far. Johnnie we need a solution to that..." Sir John nodded and the three of them kept listening for more information on the current attack. There was static for a couple of minutes then a voice came on saying "Can't make it down any farther! Some sort of a force field is all over the place! I can see the First Child though, and the Commander." There was more static and Vinson glanced over at the main display in the command center. The map was lit up with red and purple dots over Tokyo-3 and the message ANGEL ATTACK – 17TH ANGEL was on the screen. After a few agonizing minutes the voice came up again. "Angel destroyed. Need to sign off now!" Then the audio went dead.

"That's it," Vinson said to the others.

"It's the last of the Angels?" Sheffield asked Musashi, who then nodded.

"Then there's no time to waste. Let's roll!" Vinson immediately turned and rushed out the door, Musashi following just behind him. Sheffield motioned to the communication officer next to him and she gave him a different headset while adjusting her computer display. Sheffield put on the headset and started issuing orders. "OLYMPUS to all gods. OLYMPUS to all gods. WEDDING MARCH. Repeat. WEDDING MARCH..."

* * *

When the alarm was sounded, Patrick ran to where EVA-04 was. Hurrying across the base he noticed a heavy flow of men and vehicles moving towards the runways, with the multitude of aircraft being swarmed over by technicians and aircrews in preparation for their attack. In his thoughts he had always compared Pine Gap to a beehive swarming with activity, and now the bees were energized and angry.

When he reached the EVA he found that the large tarps had been removed and the cranes had shifted it to a kneeling position. The entry plug was lying next to the unit as ground crews quickly went over everything. One of them, an older bearded man who sounded like he had a Scottish accent asked Patrick to just stand a while as they prepared everything for him.

Patrick looked over at the base and watched as the Alliance's vehicles, loaded with soldiers, rolled down the various roads. Other soldiers manning missile and gun emplacements watched the skies in case someone came to interrupt the launch. Some short distance behind the command building Patrick noticed that there were a set of small houses, probably built for the original occupants of the base. Looking at the houses he saw several people standing outside and watching the spectacle as he was. He noticed in front of one of them was a younger, dark-skinned woman with two small children. In the house closest to the command building there was another woman who stood in front, waiting nervously. She was short with long, dark black hair and looked about 35 to 40.

A moment later running out of the command building was the unmistakably tall and muscular figure of Admiral Vinson, now dressed in a flight suit with a helmet around one arm. He was hurrying along speaking in a phone on one hand and running towards the closest of the houses. Vinson reached the house with the short dark-haired woman and Patrick watched as the commander put away his phone and they spoke to each other, though he was much too far away to hear their conversation. After a few minutes the woman embraced Vinson tightly, and the commander bent over to kiss her. They kissed passionately for a while and then without saying anything further Vinson turned and hurried off with the woman silently looking after him as he ran to the airfield. Vinson glanced quickly at the Evangelion as he kept running, and then a HMMWV picked him up and took him the rest of the way to the tarmac.

As the admiral's vehicle turned out of sight the dark haired woman turned her attention to the EVA. She just stood there and watched as the crews prepared it for action, and Patrick thought that perhaps she was looking at him as well. She said nothing but just stared at the him in the distance and Patrick stared back at her.

_Vance's mother_, Patrick thought. _Double-V had said she didn't know that he was a pilot. I guess she knows now._

After a while Mrs. Vinson slowly turned away and silently walked back into the house. While Patrick couldn't see the expression on her face, her slow movements seemed to express sadness to him. Patrick watched her walk back inside and took a deep breath.

_Am I doing the right thing?_ he still wondered. _Because there is no way I can do this by myself._

Patrick turned around and looked at the entry plug as the crew worked both inside and outside of it. As he watched the technicians he realized that he didn't know any of the ground crew that had been working on his EVA. Nearly all of the American-based EVA technicians that Patrick was familiar with either disappeared with NERV-2 or were killed in the EVA-03/13th Angel disaster in Matsushita. This crew that was now working on his plug all spoke English with heavy accents and mostly looked like they came from Europe.

On the ground next to the entry plug were a row of crates, cases, and bags all having equipment that would be later embedded into the entry plug, or were necessary for it's maintenance and operation. Most of the equipment was stamped PROPERTY OF NERV – FIRST BRANCH, meaning that it was "liberated" from NERV's former development laboratory in Massachusetts. Sitting on the ground next to a large crate was a black duffel bag with red stripes. Patrick took a closer look and recognized the bag immediately: it was an EVA pilot's plug suit, and more specifically the plug suit for EVA-03's former pilot.

Patrick grabbed the duffel bag by its shoulder strap and pulled it to him, then bent down and zipped it open. Inside the bag was a male plug suit, black with red and gray stripes along the sides, the number '03' around the base of the collar. He was pulling the suit out of the bag when the crew chief saw what he was doing and jogged over.

"Don't worry about the suit, laddie. We've got your own suit over in the tent for you to change into." The crew chief pointed at a small khaki tent pitched a few meters away.

"Oh, well, it's okay," Patrick told him. "I just wanted to see it. Was this ever worn by the pilot?"

"Donno. They brought it down from the States early on when they were getting ready to hit Japan the first time. Now if you don't mind we'll just be a wee bit longer..." the bearded man then quickly ran over to the other end of the plug and yelled at some other technician.

Patrick held the black plug suit in his arms and closed his eyes. _Vance if I ever needed you, it's right now! Damn, why does it have to be like this?_ He looked again at the plug suit and then an idea popped into his head. He first looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. When he noticed no one was watching Patrick took the plug suit he was holding and ran into the tent.

* * *

The light of the full moon illuminated the runways at Alice Springs, as aircraft after aircraft took off from the two runways. A dozen large bombers took off first, followed by several dozen fighter aircraft. Following the fighters was a squadron of VTOL Thunderbolts, the same aircraft that NERV used in its tactical operations. After the fighters were clear then giant airlifters loaded with troops and equipment began to assemble on the runways and then climb one by one into the night sky.

The aircraft assembled by the Alliance represented a hodge-podge of types, from ancient B-52s and F-111s to modern F-35s and Typhoons. Some were stolen from the UN or reported as "lost in accidents." Others were hidden away by their respective air forces during the post-Second Impact unification of Earth's military. A few were kept as museum pieces or were prototypes that were not part of any declared inventory. With so many types assembled together it was a logistical nightmare, but one that the Alliance had been preparing for many months. Now with its plan in full swing the Alliance rushed into the air in its last-ditch effort to prevent the unthinkable.

The last aircraft to take off was the huge C-5M with Unit 04 strapped to its rear. The EVA, with its additional battle equipment, didn't completely fit into the normally spacious cargo compartment so the airlifter had metal braces to secure its legs during the flight. It could fly even with that modification, but it would be unable to land without unloading the EVA first. The C-5M needed over a mile of runway and used attached rockets to accelerate to sufficient velocity to get airborne.

Standing and watching the aircraft make their runs were a large group of ground crews and others at the base, and among them were General Sheffield and Dr. Foch. Sheffield would stay behind at Pine Gap, using the Alliance's barely functional satellite network to direct the battle as well as other Alliance operations directed towards NERV facilities in Germany and the USA. If the plan was successful and the Alliance managed to get control of NERV, Dr. Foch would leave for Japan with the next wave of support aircraft, as his help would be needed to support ongoing operations with the EVAs.

Sheffield and Foch both watched as the C-5 loaded with EVA-04 rumbled down the runway, hit its booster rockets and then nearly at the end of the tarmac lumbered off into the sky. The C-5 slowly climbed altitude, jettisoning its rockets once it was well clear of the runway. Once it reached the same altitude as the rest of the aircraft circling overhead, a pair of fighters joined either side of it and the mass of air power flew northward and quickly out of sight.

Sheffield spoke to Dr. Foch. "I always meant to ask you but hadn't gotten an opportunity until now."

"What was this?" Foch responded.

"How did you know EVA-04 would return?"  
"An educated guess, really," the scientist said. "It's easy to assume that the Dirac Sea just swallowed everything at NERV-2 and compressed it into a black hole. But we knew from Japan that an EVA could survive a Dirac Sea. Making the assumption that it can survive, it would logically return to its point of origin when it willing to."

"Willing to?"

"We scientists tend to try to break everything down to equations and theorems, work out cause and effect to reach a conclusion. Lacking data we go into crisis and try all sort of different angles and theories to explain things. If it was something as straightforward as an explosion or some other sort of chemical or physical reaction, we experiment and try to duplicate and observe the result and then draw up a theory to get an answer. But I spent enough time working with EVA to know among all things that it is the _human_ element that matters most. If the heart can gain the courage to return, the will follows."

Foch continued. "EVA will, among all else, protect the pilot. It's the bond between pilot and the unit that provides the power, that generates the AT field, that provides motivation. Once the threat to the pilot is gone, EVA can follow its own heart if so enabled. And being human, the heart invariably wants to come home."

"The EVA itself wanted to return," Sheffield concluded.

"Somehow she knew she had to," Foch told him. "But as I said, it was an educated guess."

"Quite. Now we see if this isn't all just a fool's errand."

"I don't think God would have permitted us such a lost hope, even at this late hour. One thing is for certain, however."

Sheffield looked at Foch, who was now walking back to the facility. "What is that?"  
"This day, one way or another, mankind's childhood will be at an end!"

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

The bright moonlight shone into Rei Ayanami's apartment window, waking her up. She rubbed her forehead and breathed deeply. The jumble of memories inside her head were beginning to sort themselves out more now, but still much inside of her mind was clouded in confusion.

She looked out the window and saw the full moon loom large in the night sky. Seeing it calmed her somewhat and gave her the stillness to put her thoughts in order. She pulled up her knees against her and sat on the bed for a while as she considered what had happened to her, and what was about to happen.

_The door from heaven is closing_, she felt, _and the door to heaven is opening. _

Rei closed her eyes and thought about the world she was in. A voice inside of her spoke. _The time is approaching. The one living inside of you will awaken. The one you have always feared. _

_I know_, she answered back to herself. _I've tried to run away. But now I cannot. I want this to end. I don't want to keep going on, being reborn and reborn again._

_Even if it means the end of everything? _The voice inside asked her.

_Anywhere can be Heaven if you have the will to live_, she remembered another voice telling her before. _But I don't want to live anymore, if living means that I can no longer be myself. _She looked up at the moon again, and then she knew what she had to do.

Rei got out of her bed and walked to her dresser. Pulling out the drawer and lifting out her school uniform, she knew it would be the last time she would ever do this.

Inside the top drawer she saw another neatly folded pile of clothes next to her other school uniform. A white top with a plaid black and white skirt. She looked at them curiously. _This is not a school uniform. When did I wear this? _Rei tried to concentrate but the memory was fleeting, as it felt like something floating in her mind she couldn't quite grab. There was a small video player box next to the clothes and also a small silver cross. Unsure of what to do and feeling the need to go to NERV quickly, she fastened the small cross around her neck and then put on her school uniform and left the apartment.


	14. Chapter 13

_Off the eastern coast of Japan_

On board the _Liberator_ Kensuke Aida quietly sneaked out of his cabin. Listening to the sounds of the warship early that morning as it prepared for battle he had been unable to sleep, as he was excited with fantasies of watching all sorts of military men and hardware go at each other in high-tech mortal combat.

On the day before when the Suzaharas, the Horakis and himself arrived on board, they were quickly taken to sickbay where each was examined by the ship's medical staff and Toji's sister was given her own bed in the ICU. Once determined that they were okay the group were given rooms at the rear of the ship. Toji was separated from the rest of the group for a time but then returned much later that evening, telling Kensuke and the others that the Alliance intelligence people had questions about EVA and what he knew. While waiting for Toji to be returned to the group Kensuke tried to look for Mary, who had disappeared when they initially arrived on the ship. The group of Japanese civilians were unfortunately well guarded by sentries and he was unable to get past them and either look for Mary or explore the ship.

Now at five in the morning Kensuke had overheard the ship's loudspeakers call "General Quarters." Aida's English wasn't very good but he knew the meaning of that term as a call for the ship to go into combat. Grabbing his video camera, he had left his cabin and tapped on Toji's cabin door. He knocked on the door a few times, and then he tried to open it and noticed it was locked. _Figures. Armageddon's going to start and all you can do is sleep._ Kensuke couldn't blame him: among the group Toji had the worst day yesterday, so let his friend rest and moved on.

Aida tiptoed down the hallway. At the end of the hall he saw someone standing there with their back to him, but their uniform didn't look like the marine sentries that had been standing there earlier. Once he got closer to the person she turned around and a familiar voice cheerfully said to him "Good Morning!"

"Mary!" Aida exclaimed. It was Mary, only now she was dressed in a skin-tight green and white bodysuit. Kensuke walked up to her. "Where have you been?"  
"Getting ready," she replied. "Today's the day!"

"You're piloting, then?" Kensuke asked her and she nodded as she broadly smiled. He then looked at the strange outfit she was wearing. "Is that a..."

"It's a plug suit, yes."

"It doesn't look like NERV's suits at all!"

"Oh, really? Well, I'm not really fond of the thing. It's too tight in all the wrong places! Perhaps I can trade it in when this is all over, yeah?"

"Well, um..."

"I'm about to go over to get set up with my EVA. Would you like to watch?"

"Of course!"

"I've worked out a deal with the guards here," she told him. "They'll let you go on an observation deck on the port side. Just don't go wondering too far." Kensuke nodded excitedly and they both walked out a side passage to the observation platform. Next to them on the platform was another marine sentry, his watchful eyes scanning all around.

From the platform Kensuke could see lights floating in various places in the ocean distance. After a minute he saw that he could make out the silhouettes of various ships all around them. It was still very dark, but there was just enough light to see what he identified as several destroyers and escorts, at least a couple of amphibious assault ships, and a large container ship. There was also something larger on the horizon which he assumed was an aircraft carrier.

Kensuke just took it all in. "Wow" he said. "It's just like before!"

"Just like before?" Mary asked him.  
"About four months ago I went with Toji and Shinji to the UN fleet to watch Unit 02 arrive. I got to watch the fleet in action then, too."  
"So it's not your first time, then?"  
"Well, it was a bit different," he said. "It was an Angel battle, you see."

"So you _have_ really seen them in action? The EVAs I mean?"  
"Twice, for reals! And I was inside of it the first time, really!"

"I wondered how you knew as much as you did. You almost had me going on the train yesterday, you know..."  
"Oh, uh, about that.."  
"It's all right. I wasn't exactly up front either." Mary stood there and took a deep breath. "Ten years of work and it all comes down to this."

"Lucky you..." Kensuke told her as he checked his camera again. "Wish I wasn't just standing here recording this."  
"Recording's important!" Mary said to him cheerfully. "Somebody's got to be keeping records of what we're doing."  
Kensuke looked at the distance. "I'd rather be out there. Hey, where's your EVA? Is it on board?"

"Not this ship. It's on that one," Mary pointed at the container ship, which had a giant green tarp on the top deck. "Anyway, I best be going." She turned to face him. "Wish me luck then, will you?"

Kensuke nodded. "I'll give you a copy of the video when you get back."

Without saying anything else, Mary bent over and kissed Kensuke on the cheek. "Right, then. Be seeing you!" and she turned around and ran back inside the ship. Kensuke stood and watched her run inside, brushing his hand against his cheek and sighed. _ Oh, man. I'm in love!_

_

* * *

_

_Tokyo-3_

In his darkened office Commander Ikari sat at his desk as the vice commander stood next to him. They were surrounded by the holographic boxes of the leaders of SEELE, who had summoned the meeting. It would be their last.

Chairman Keel, in the guise of "SEELE 01" spoke first. "The promised time has come. With the Lance of Longinus now lost, complementation using Lilith is impossible. Our only hope is to proceed with EVA-01, Lilith's sole clone."

Gendo folded his hands and spoke plainly. "Our scenario is different from SEELE's. Humans should evolve into a new world. That is the purpose of the EVA series."

One of the leaders spoke behind him. "We have no intention of giving up our human forms simply to enter the Ark called Eva."  
"It is merely a rite of passage," said another, "to bring about the rebirth in those who are imprisoned within their bodies."

Other leaders joined in. "The fate of destruction is also the joy of rebirth! A sacrament to unite God, humans, and all other life forms in death."

The commander didn't react, but simply looked straight at the Chairman's obelisk and gave the answer he had wanted to say to SEELE for years. Throwing down the gauntlet, he said "Death gives birth to nothing."

Keel was quick to respond. "Then death is what you shall have!" The thirteen holographic monoliths then disappeared. The lights came on and the commander and vice commander looked at each other, knowing what came next.

"It's best that we start getting ready," Futsuyuki told him. "They won't waste any more time."

"Put us on full alert," Gendo said. "They'll start with the MAGI first…"

* * *

_35,000 feet above the Western Pacific_

Admiral Vinson's Thunderbolt shuddered in the jet wake as it took on fuel from an aerial tanker just above them. It was the second such refueling on the flight to Japan, as they refueled once they were airborne from Australia and now again just before their "Go/No Go" line of approach.

Vinson sat in the rear passenger compartment in the modified Thunderbolt. Behind him was a junior intelligence officer who monitored a large computer display in his cockpit. Vinson had a similar unit in front of his own seat, which was linked by satellite to Pine Gap and also to the rest of the Alliance's combat and intelligence assets.

The Admiral led one of three waves of fighters that were all now about one hour's distance from Tokyo-3. His wave from Australia was the largest, nearly 100 aircraft of all types. A second wave of about forty aircraft was approaching from Alaska, while the third wave with about sixty aircraft would be ready for takeoff from two aircraft carriers just off the eastern coast of Japan.

During the long flight their fleet had lost four aircraft (including a precious air transport), each having to turn back because of either mechanical or electrical problems. Now as they approached the "Go/No Go" line that was a few minutes away, Vinson had to make a final decision to commit to the operation or turn back his forces and wait for a better opportunity.

If he gave a "Go" signal to the force, a number of the Alliance's aircraft and ships would then launch long-range missiles that would attack the air defense radars and weapons of both the Japanese Self-Defense Force and NERV, hopefully knocking out their anti-air capabilities. Most of this wave of missiles coming from all three directions would arrive on target at precisely 0545 Japan time. Ninety seconds later fighters and bombers would arrive in the battlespace and attack any hostile mobile units with shorter range weapons. Once opposition on the ground was softened up Alliance troops would assault from aircraft and from the offshore ships, and quickly penetrate the Geo Front. With limited manpower the Alliance's goal wouldn't be to take over all of NERV's fortress, but rather like a precisely aimed laser they would use their own advantages and inside knowledge to gain control over Central and Terminal Dogma, as well as the EVA cages. If everything went according to plan the JSSDF forces that were approaching Tokyo-3 would be decimated while the Alliance would hold the critical parts of NERV.

The chances of success however depended on too many factors to count, and Vinson knew the odds of a completely successful attack were poor, maybe as poor as 1 in 10. His air forces would be at the end of a long flight before pressing the attack and many of the aircraft such as his Thunderbolt wouldn't have enough fuel to return home, requiring them to either land at a local airfield or ditch in the Pacific if one could not be found. His ground forces, though very well trained, were few in numbers compared to the Japanese, who were playing on home turf and could bring in large numbers of armor and artillery to smash his units once they touched down. Then there was also the unpredictability of NERV: while NERV's defenses against a conventional military attack were weak, NERV represented the highest technology available to mankind. There were bound to be a myriad of unknown threats inside the spacious Geo Front. Even though the Alliance had an "inside" man in the facility and good intelligence that Musashi had provided, the likelihood that they could just walk inside and take it over unopposed was quite small.

Lastly there was the factor of the Evangelions themselves. Vinson's forces had two units, but one, EVA-05, was a hastily reassembled mess of metal and tissue. The other, EVA-04, was well-equipped but under control of a pilot who's capabilities and even loyalty was questionable. NERV could come out with one or two Evangelion units of their own to counter the Alliance forces, but he knew both of his own EVA pilots would be reluctant to fight the children piloting them. Finally there were the Mass-Production EVAs, which as of now had not been located. Even if NERV restrained their own EVAs or if the Alliance could neutralize them, it would be the Alliance's two EVAs versus up to nine of the Mass Production types. The true capabilities of the Mass Production type had yet to be determined, but they could be quite formidable indeed.

Despite all of these factors the risk of inaction was heavier still. Failure to stop either SEELE or NERV's commander from implementing Instrumentality would mean the end of mankind as all knew it, and that was something that Vinson and the others in the Alliance swore would not happen as long as they were alive.

Vinson keyed the commo switch that allowed him to talk through the satellite up-link directly to Pine Gap. "OLYMPUS this is ZEUS. Target update."

Sheffield's voice crackled through the audio. "This is OLYMPUS. Hostile forces identified as JSSDF are approaching target currently. Attack may be imminent."

"How long until they reach target."

"Confirmed prior to H-Hour."

_Damn. They might already be inside the place before we even get there. _"OLYMPUS, any status on SURPRISE PACKAGE?" Vinson referred to the Mass Production EVAs.

"Location unknown at this time."

Vinson put the pieces together in his mind. Arriving after the Japanese military started their assault provided him one advantage: the JSSDF would be focused on its efforts against NERV, enough that they might not check their outside defenses. If the Alliance could achieve surprise against the Japanese, they might be able to quickly destroy their heavier forces from the rear and then pursue their infantry into the Geo Front, squeezing them in between the Alliance's hammer and NERV's anvil. Hopefully NERV would then have the good sense to know it was being rescued.

Vinson now keyed the open communications channel to his forces. "ZEUS to all gods, report!" The Alliance's forces began to check in, one by one.

"ARES wing is standing by."

"APOLLO force is standing by."

"POSIDEON fleet is standing by…"

* * *

Patrick sat restlessly inside the entry plug of EVA-04. It had already been flooded with LCL, but he had no visual signal outside of the aircraft as he was still in the C-5's cargo hold. During the long journey he had spent the time running the battle plan over and over through his mind. While he was frightfully nervous during the flight, during the trip he had also remembered something that Vance Vinson had told him in training, a long time before his first trip to Japan.

"Double-V," Patrick had asked Vinson during one of their many training exercises in the EVAs, "How the heck do you keep from being so damn nervous out there?" He asked the question as he sat in Unit 04, during one of his very first training sorties.

Vance smiled at him though the video link from Unit 03. "It's simple really. Just assume you're dead!"

"What?"

"That's all there is to it!"

Patrick shook his head. "I don't get it. Isn't the point of all this training to keep you alive during combat?"

"No," Vinson told him. "The point of training is to get you to hit what you're aiming at, whether that's to kill an Angel, or if it's to drop cargo where it belongs, or anything!"

"But how can you do that if someone kills you?"  
"Because either you or someone else kills them first, and that happens because everyone is focused on objective and not worrying about themselves."

"But..."

Vance softened his voice. "If all you're worried about is getting killed, you will get killed. If all you're worried about is hitting the target, you will hit the target. And your chances of surviving will greatly increase if you hit the target. So the best thing to do is assume you're already killed and then you don't have to worry about it."  
"And if you really _do_ get killed?" Patrick asked him.

Vance shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if your number's up, it's up. There's nothing that you can do about that any way if you think about it. But if it's your time, it's a heck of a lot better to go out with a bang than a whimper, don't you think?"

_Vance_, Patrick thought as he recalled the memory of his friend, _You probably knew it was coming anyway, didn't you? _He listened for his position in the roll call. His was the last in the order of battle.

"GABRIEL unit is standing by!" he called out at the end.

Satisfied that the force was assembled and ready, Vinson concentrated his mind on the situation at hand as he considered any other factors that might belay an attack order. Actually it was already a given that they would go through with it, as his own units were in place and the JSSDF were already making their move. Knowing the location of the SEELE-controlled EVA units was his only true remaining concern, but now it couldn't be helped. There was no point to backing out.

The intelligence officer next to him told Vinson "sixty seconds to Go/No Go." The commander decided not to wait.

"ZEUS to all gods, WEDDING CRASHERS! Repeat, WEDDING CRASHERS!"

Once the admiral gave the order most of the aircraft in the group rolled and dove downward, rapidly loosing altitude as they approached the Japanese air defense radars. A few heavy bombers stayed at high altitude, opening up their bomb bays and dispensing out dozens of cruise missiles that would be part of the first wave of the attack. The missiles themselves fell through the air until just a few thousand feet above sea level and then ignited rocket boosters to start their attack runs.

Patrick's stomach twisted a little as he could feel the roll and steep dive of the transport following the rest of the air wing. _Not much longer now_, he thought. He repeatedly pushed his fingers into his palms to keep himself focused. He shook his shoulders a little and looked at the black and red plug suit he was now wearing. On his wrist he could see the numbers "03" printed into the wristband. He didn't think Vinson's plug suit would have fit him well but it was snug and felt like a second skin, which is what it was supposed to do. Patrick then relaxed his muscles, leaned back into the throne and closed his eyes.

_Well, Double-V...I guess my number's up!_

_

* * *

_

_Australia_

At Pine Gap General Sheffield sat at his command chair as he watched the now fully operational command center frantic with activity as they laid in the oncoming attack. Many of the officers in the room coordinated the oncoming missile strikes and attacks on the Japanese defenses, while others monitored NERV, keeping a close watch on their situation.

"Sir," a young male officer called out, "NERV just went to Full Alert!"  
"How about the Japanese?" Sheffield asked.

Another officer replied "Moving into attack positions but not yet engaging."

_Damn. We could be too late._ "Did NERV sortie their EVAs?"

"Not yet, sir." The first officer replied.

Now another, female officer reported. "General, all of NERVs external communications links just shut down!"

"For what reason?"

"Pattern is consistent with construction of a dynamic multi-phase firewall to repel a forced entry data attack. Multiple sites are coordinating to hack into their main CPU system."  
"They're starting with a soft attack first, trying to capture them intact," Sheffield said to himself. "Instruct POSIEDON to launch their attack wave now," he ordered. He then turned to a communications officer next to him. "Inform ZEUS by satellite of what's going on. He'll want to accelerate things a bit, I think."

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Misato spoke into her mobile phone as she rushed down a hallway towards an elevator on NERV's C-deck. "Status report?"

"Hyuga here. Tokyo-2 has just issued Special Order A-801!"

"801?"

"That's right. Abolishment of special legal protection for NERV and transfer of all command to the government of Japan."

The elevator doors closed as Misato continued to listen. "It's an ultimatum. Plus, the MAGI are being hacked. Things aren't looking good!"

Maya then got on the phone. "Ibuki here. Dr. Akagi has just begun protective countermeasures."

"Ritsuko!" Misato exclaimed as the elevator doors opened to Central Dogma.

Several floors below Ritsuko Akagi sat in a crawlspace underneath the MAGI computer system as she rapidly typed code into a laptop terminal. While the MAGI had an automatic defense system against intrusion by outside computers, their opponents were using the five MAGI "clones" supplied by NERV to its branch locations. Each of the five systems had nearly the same raw computing power as Tokyo-3's, plus they were working closely together to quickly worm their way into the main NERV system.

The MAGI trinity could easily defend itself against an attack by one or two of its clone systems, but an attack by all five was significantly more dangerous and risked overtaking the MAGI itself. If that happened NERV could be shut down from within and the Japanese soldiers who now surrounded the GeoFront could almost literally walk in and seize control. As a result Dr. Akagi was released from her cell where she had been held since destroying the Dummy Plug system, and was now rapidly reprogramming the MAGI's defenses to repel the five-pronged attack.

_This smells like something Harrison Forrestal might have come up with_ Ritsuko thought to herself as she went through pages of code changes. _No doubt he gave SEELE the hack program to gain their trust. _

Misato stood on the operations deck and watched a graphic of the computer battle on the main screen. The MAGI appeared in the middle while other systems from Tokyo-2, China, the USA and Germany connected from all sides to gain control of each of the MAGI's main CPUs. Two were already controlled, while one CPU was nearly 90% taken.

"How much longer?" she asked the controllers.

"We should just make it!" Hyuga responded. "Dr. Akagi is amazing! One more minute to the end of page 120, and only two and half more minutes until deployment of a primary firewall."

Misato looked at the graphic nervously. _They're _just_ hacking the MAGI? _She thought to herself. _They're not going to let us off that easy..._

Also watching the cyber battle on the command deck were the commander and vice commander. "The MAGI is only the first skirmish," Futsuyuki said to Commander Ikari. "The bastard's objective will be the direct take-over of headquarters and the two remaining EVA units."

"Yes," Gendo replied. "With not only Lillith but even Adam in our hands..."

"No wonder the old men are so worried!" They both looked at the main screen as only one sector on the MAGI remained in control, the rest of the system was colored red. Suddenly a wave of green spilled over all three CPUs as the new firewall was implemented.

"Hacking against MAGI has been stopped!" Maya reported excitedly. "A Danang Type-B defense screen has been deployed. External access is impossible for the next 62 hours." All of them breathed a deep sigh of relief.

In the crawlspace underneath the MAGI Ritsuko packed away her terminal. To her the reprogramming was challenging but not overwhelmingly so, as she had envisioned the possibility of such an attack some time ago and thought about ways to deal with it. Having formed a plan in her mind to create the transposing firewall weeks earlier she had given herself time during the battle to reprogram some other parts of the MAGI core system as well, parts that would again allow her complete control.

She put the terminal away, quietly picked up a pistol from a small unmarked compartment inside the crawlspace and then dropped it in her white lab coat pocket. Into another pocket she dropped in a PDA which was now actively linked to the MAGI. She had earlier observed that Section Two had assigned just two guards to her. Overpowering them should be easy enough, she thought, and then there would be just one more target to go.

Ritsuko patted the titanium cover of one of the MAGI's cores as she started to slide out of the crawlspace. "See you in a bit, mother."

* * *

Rei walked down the dark passageway as she made her way to the elevator shaft. Hidden in the large jumble of connecting tunnels, the narrow hallway was the secret access way to the elevator that would take her deep below to Terminal Dogma.

Not marked on any maps of the Geo Front, only a few knew of the existence of either the passageway or the elevator it led to. That few included the commander, vice commander, the scientific director, and a handful of security personnel that guarded them and the First Child. It was the chief of the security team that now stood in front of the elevator door in front of her.

Rei stopped and looked at the burly dark-suited man as he pointed a pistol at her head. On the ground she saw two bodies, dressed in dark suits as the chief was. Blood was spilling across the hallway from their corpses.

The security chief looked at the First Child as he put his laser point directly at her forehead. For years he had been part of the security detachment for the NERV core staff, all the while reporting to SEELE what he saw and heard. Now SEELE had given him one final mission.

Rei stood there and looked at him curiously. "So beautiful," he said as he took careful aim. "And such a pity." As he started to pull the trigger the chief felt two bullets thud into his abdomen from his right and collapsed before he fully realized what had happened.

The First Child watched as another Section Two agent walked out of the shadows, silenced pistol in one hand. This agent was younger and taller than the others, with a square jaw. "Sorry about the mess," he told her as he stepped over the bodies and approached her.

"Ayanami-chan, you're in grave danger here. I need to take you to safety."

"I need to go down there," she calmly responded.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," the agent said as he holstered his silenced pistol and grabbed a tazer from his jacket.

Without saying anything Rei walked towards the elevator entrance. As Alpha moved to grab her he felt an invisible force pushed him away from the girl. In the minimal light of the access way he could see geometric patters form around Rei as she opened the elevator door with her key card.

She entered the elevator door and looked back at him. "Please protect the others," she asked as the elevator doors shut behind her. Alpha quickly ran to the control panel and tried to call the elevator back. Unsuccessful, he quickly stretched a piece of tape across the elevator door and hurried back down the access way to his next target.

The tape he placed on the elevator shaft was embedded with a radioactive isotope, one that could be found with a specially-equipped sensor that the Alliance assault team would have. Alpha just hoped they would get here before all hell broke loose.


	15. Chapter 14

"Ikari has executed a Type-666 protection program on the MAGI system," one of SEELE's leaders reported to the others. "It won't be easy to breach."

"I had hoped to solve this peacefully, but that is not possible now," Chairman Kiel responded. "Take over the headquarters directly, now!"

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Ten kilometers away from the Geo Front, General Yamashita of the Japanese Strategic Self-Defense Force (or JSSDF) stood outside his command vehicle and surveyed the fortress alongside Lake Ashi with his night vision scope. He focused on several weapon and sensor positions lined around the perimeter of Tokyo-3 that were embedded within steel and rock.

NERV's own mobile armored formations had been deactivated days earlier, but their fortress defenses were still there in front of his units. Against a single, large target like an Angel the fortress weapons were useful (if not entirely effective). Against a fast-moving conventional armored force such as the JSSDF however, they would be little more than a nuisance.

Yamashita and the JSSDF had been preparing this offensive for several months. At first only him and his senior commanders knew of the government's plan to eliminate NERV after the Angels were defeated. After the city of Tokyo-3 was destroyed, the Japanese government deployed Yamashita's 7th Armored Division closer to the Geo Front under the guise of "support for UN defenses of NERV." Yesterday the general announced to the rest of his men that the "truth" about NERV had been discovered, and that the Angel-fighting organization intended to bring about their own Third Impact. In order to save Japan and the world, his men would need to swiftly conquer NERV, destroying everything and everyone that was inside the GeoFront. It was to be a complete liquidation: no prisoners were to be taken.

Of course, Yamashita knew the complete truth. While everything else at NERV was to be wiped out, with N2 weapons if necessary, the Evangelions along with the MAGI system would be kept. There were others that wanted them for their own important purpose.

Yamashita's adjutant came over to him with the secure radio and handed him the receiver. He listened to the final instructions over the line, nodding to himself as the voice on the other end gave him the go-ahead. The general affirmed with his superior and then hung up the line. Giving the receiver back to his adjutant he told the young officer "Send orders to all units. Commence operations as planned."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

In Central Dogma Misato and the controllers barely had time to catch their breath after the hacking attack when alarms sounded again. This time the main display screen was wild with activity and there were panicked calls on nearly all audio channels.

All three controllers looked at their own displays and quickly tried to make sense of what was happening. While they had been through combat alarms many times and knew the pattern of Angel attacks on NERV, this time was nothing like before.

"JSSDF tank battalion advancing through Goura defense perimeter!" Aoba shouted.

Hyuga joined in. "Two more battalions approaching from Gotemba!"

Other voices called out to report incoming Japanese air and ground units attacking NERV's defenses, both the static gun and missile installations that surrounded the Geo Front as well as the small number of security troops that guarded the entrances to the fortress.

On the command platform, Ikari and Futsuyuki monitored the rush of reports. "It seems that man's ultimate enemy is also man," the Vice Commander dryly commented. Gendo didn't reply to him but issued orders while seated at his desk. "General Quarters. Go to First Level Battle Stations!"

* * *

_400 kilometers southeast of Japan_

Vinson listened as General Sheffield updated him on the battle through the satellite radio. "ZEUS, OLYMPUS. I'm afraid I've got bad news."

"They jumped off, didn't they?" Vinson asked knowingly.

"Approximately two minutes ago," Sheffield answered. "As expected the JSSDF are now moving at divisional strength versus the fortress, with full air and artillery support."

"Damn! We're still 30 minutes out. We need to clear a space through their air defense quickly. Tell POSEIDON to launch their second missile wave now."

"Already done."

"Have ARES go after their AWACS ASAP, even if it means getting seen on their sensors," Vinson ordered, referring to the Alliance's stealth warplanes now coming in from Alaska. "We have to get in there quickly if this is going to work."

"Will do. Also, MANTIS reports ready."

"Good. We'll need her if those big white boys show up. Any word from ALPHA on their EVAs."

"Situation unknown. We're unable to communicate with ALPHA."

Vinson frowned. "We can't assume anything then. Have ARES have their bombers stand by with N2s in case we need them against the EVAs."

"Copy, ZEUS." Sheffield ended the transmission and Vinson opened up another communication with the other aircraft in his battle group. "ZEUS to all gods: Red Phoenix! Red Phoenix! The home team just jumped off so prepare for a hot entrance!"

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

It was mayhem all across of NERV's outside defenses as the JSSDF's overwhelming firepower made short work of the remainder of NERV's defense emplacements. Tanks and armored vehicles were approaching the Geo Front facility from multiple directions, firing on small pockets of NERV security personnel that were spread out thinly around the facility. Within minutes nearly all of NERV's large gun emplacements, missile launchers, radar stations, bunkers, and other emplacements designed to help defend against Angel attacks were destroyed by gunfire or explosive rounds launched by mere humans.

The JSSDF's attack wasn't limited to heavy armor. Groups of commandos took up positions along several points of entry around the underground facility. At the south hub-station, where Tokyo-3's train system interfaced with NERV's main entrance, dozens of black-clad special forces watched as a single trooper crawled to where a single NERV sentry stood guard with his sub-machine gun.

As they watched, a lone soldier crawled on the ground and behind the NERV sentry. Before the guard could react the solider had already jumped up behind him and neatly slit his throat with a combat knife, killing him silently. Dropping the dead guard's body on the ground, the soldier then moved to the control panel next to him and lifted a switch. Behind him, the security doors all began to slide up in unison as alarm klaxons sounded all around. The soldier made a series of hand signals and then the entire company of black-clad troopers moved in multiple columns through the security gates, guns at the ready.

Misato and the controllers watched the ongoing battles on the video displays at Central Dogma when another controller from the level below them shouted "Invading Forces have entered Level One!" A second controller added "South hub-station off-line!"

Misato looked at a computer graphic showing the enemy activity around NERV. There were large amounts of blue symbols moving towards the western side of the Geo Front, but now the train station on the south was also indicated as a combat zone on the display. Misato knew if the JSSDF got entry through the train station, they could quickly flood the Geo Front with hundreds of troops and NERV risked losing control of its home base.

"The forces attacking the west side are a decoy!" Misato shouted. "If their real target is the EVAs they'll be going after the pilots. Have Shinji stand by at EVA-01, quickly!"

"Yes, Ma'am," Hyuga answered.

"Where's Asuka?"

"In sickroom 303," Lt. Aoba reported.

"Put her in EVA-02 anyway!"

Maya turned around and faced the major, "But her sync ratio hasn't recovered yet!"

"Yes, but she'll definitely be killed if she stays here. The best place to hide her is inside EVA-02"

"Yes, Ma'am," Maya responded and then spoke to the medical staff through her headset. "Stop medication to pilot. Prepare for launch!"

"As soon as Asuka's inside Unit 02, hide it in the underground lake," Misato ordered. "It'll be found almost immediately but it's better than leaving it in the cage. Where's Rei?"

"Whereabouts unknown…" Aoba said. "We're unable to locate her."

"She'll be killed! Find her, quickly!"

Misato looked at the tactical display in front of them, showing large amounts of blue symbols closing in on a much smaller number of red ones surrounding the Geo Front Some of the blue symbols had already breached well inside of the facility.

While she knew the NERV staff would fight valiantly, the truth was NERV only had a small number of security personnel and most of them were trained to prevent intrusions by terrorists or other small-size threats. They were neither trained nor equipped to hold off an army of professional soldiers, especially one as capable as the Japanese special forces.

The Major looked up at the Commander and Vice Commander on their platform above here, still stoically observing the battle. Both were emotionless, Commander Ikari was just sitting there with his hands folded in front of him as always watching the displays. _How can he be so cool like this? _ _Unless this is all part of the plan…_

She closed her eyes and clutched the silver cross around her neck. D_amn! If there ever was a time we needed help, it's now! Kaji, please..._Misato thought for a moment and realized it was time to take a risk herself. She moved over to Lt. Hyuga's station.

"Take over for me for a bit. I need to go make a call!" Without saying anything further Misato ran over to the elevators, somewhere she wouldn't be seen or heard, and took out her mobile phone. She quickly dialed the number and waited. It was picked up after the first ring.

A gruff voice answered. "Major Katsuragi, I presume."  
"Kikuchi!"

"How did you get this number?"  
"Don't underestimate my abilities! Did you send the message in the bathroom?"  
"Major, it's probable that your communications are being monitored."

Misato had to control herself to keep from shouting into the phone. "It hardly matters at this point! Did you?"  
"Yes."  
"Who are you?"  
"Someone who is highly concerned about the intended outcome of the Evangelion project."

Misato listened as Kikuchi continued. "At this moment there is a force of very skilled, very highly motivated specialists that are on their way here to prevent this tragedy. If you have any concern for the pilots under your care, please allow me to remove them from this facility and to our protection."  
"Impossible! How can I possibly trust you?"  
"Because our group can offer you much better conditions then the Japanese government, or anyone else, is likely to give you."

"Why should I believe anything you say?"  
Despite Misato's outbursts Kikuchi was calm. "Because Ryo-kun knew you were the one that we could depend on."  
Misato screamed into the phone. "Don't screw with me! Just because you knew him from before…"  
The agent cut her off. "Major, time is very short. I think we would both agree that his priority would always be for the protection of the children, yes? I can help, with or without your cooperation."

Misato was silent as she considered everything. After a minute she then spoke to Kikuchi in a very serious tone. "If you and your people are truly concerned about the pilots, taking them away from here won't protect them!"

"Then Major, what do you suggest?"

* * *

Within moments of ending the phone call, Kikuchi was already on the third floor of the hospital wing. He entered the room just as a nurse was slipping a red plug suit over an unresponsive Asuka. The nurse noticed him just as she activated the vacuum and the suit formed tightly around the girl's limp body.

"Yes?"

"I've come for the Second Child."  
"Her plug suit is on. She's off the sedatives but it will take her some time to recover, if she's able to at all."

"Understood. Thank you." As the nurse watched, Kikuchi picked Asuka up in his arms and gently placed her against his back, bringing her arms around his neck. Leaning forward so as to make sure she didn't slide off, Kikuchi quickly tore off several strands of fabric from the sheets on the hospital bed. He took two long strands and tied them around his waist and Asuka's body, binding the two of them tightly together. The agent then took another strand and tied Asuka's wrists together, to prevent her from slipping off his neck and shoulders. With Asuka firmly in tow, he then took out his automatic pistol from its shoulder holster and detached the silencer, checking the magazine to see if it was fully loaded.

As he turned to leave the room Kikuchi spoke to the nurse once more. "And ma'am?"  
"Yes?" she answered.  
"Find a good place to hide, and don't trust anybody!"

Kikuchi hurried down the hospital hallway, holding Asuka steady on his back with one arm while carrying his pistol with his other. He passed by several hospital staff who were busy making preparations for the likely casualties of the outside battle.

Stepping into the elevator, he closed the door before two other hospital staff could join them, then punched the elevator to the sub-level next to the EVA cages and keying a security code that would allow them no intermediate stops on the way there. He only hoped that the Japanese special forces hadn't yet reached that far.

Flung on his back, Asuka began to move slightly, mumbling incoherently as the sedatives wore off.

"Kaji-san, is that you?" she said wearily, her eyes still closed.  
Kikuchi wasn't sure how to handle her in this state, but he played along. "Uh, yes."  
"Where are we going?"  
"To your EVA. It's time for you to pilot."  
"Okay."

When the elevator opened, alarm klaxons were heard all around as NERV personnel ran back and forth to duty stations or to flee areas already taken over. He stepped quickly out of the elevator still with Asuka on his back, and walked at a brisk pace toward the EVA cages, passing by a group of armed security personnel running the opposite way.

Asuka dreamily spoke to him again. "Kaji-san?"  
"Yes?"  
"I need to tell you something..."

"What is it?"  
"I love Shinji, but he's so stupid that he can't figure it out."  
"You can tell him yourself when you see him again."

"Okay…" and she was quiet again.

Kikuchi got to the end of the hallway and saw the EVA cages in front of him, a series of eight giant steel docks each large enough to fit an Evangelion and immerse it in LCL. At the current time only two of the eight had EVAs in them, Cage 7 on the far end with Unit 01, and Cage 1 right in front with Unit 02.

Standing at the end of the hallway were two men in technician uniforms. When Kikuchi started to make his way toward the cages, the two men stopped him.

"If that's the Second Child, we can take her from here," one of the men told him.

Kikuchi's inner sense didn't feel at all right. "Sorry. I have orders to deliver her directly to the EVA myself."

"Major Katsuragi contacted us just now," the first man replied. "You're to give her to us. Now." As the man was speaking, Kikuchi noticed that the second technician was reaching into his waistband. Before he could remove anything, Kikuchi pointed his pistol to the forehead of the first technician.

"I don't think so," the agent said. The two men tried to move to attack him but Kikuchi quickly put a bullet in each man's forehead and then hurried towards the cages. In front of him was a flight of steel stairs leading to a two-hundred meter gangway that led to Cage 01. He rushed to the head of the stairs and noticed two more men in technician uniforms, but this time with guns out. _Probably some sort of infiltrators_, Kikuchi thought. At this point there wasn't time to sort out who was who, he just knew he needed to get the girl and himself to the EVA alive.

Crouching behind the stairs, he said to the girl strapped to his back "Asuka-chan, hang on please!"  
"Okay…" she replied, still in a dream-like voice.

Kikuchi took a deep breath and proceeded to hop on the steel railing of the staircase. Both of the infiltrators on the gangway looked towards the stairs at the source of the noise, bringing their sub-machine guns to bear. Sliding down the railing fast and still with Asuka on his back, Kikuchi raised his pistol and rapidly placed another two rounds in each of the men on the gangway before they could get a shot off. When he reached the foot of the stairs he bounded off and ran as fast as he could down the gangway towards the cages.

Hurrying around another set of stairs he ran into another technician and pointed his pistol at the man's face. The panicked look of the red-jumpsuited tech assured him that he wasn't an opponent. Kikuchi lowered the pistol and the tech, now breathing just a bit easier, quickly hurried both of them up the gantry and towards the back of the EVA, where an open entry plug was waiting.

Misato was in operations monitoring the battle when her phone buzzed.

"Yes?"

"We're here," Kikuchi replied. "They're loading the entry plug right now."

Misato felt immensely relieved, taking a deep breath and let it out. "Thank you. Find the First Child and get her out of here."

"The First Child is currently in Terminal Dogma," the agent reported, surprising Misato. "She should be safe there for a while. What about the Third?"  
"He's my responsibility. Please help me with Rei."  
"I'll do it."

"Kikuchi," Misato said, "I'm taking an awful chance with you…"

"I understand," he responded without emotion. "Please also know that I'm going against orders by assisting you in this manner. Hang on, Major. They're coming." The agent then hung up the phone.


	16. Chapter 15

_Above Central Japan_

35,000 feet above the Kanto Plain, a Japanese 767 AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft orbited around the battlespace in a race-track pattern. Escorted by two F-15 fighters, the 767's massive radars kept track of all airborne activity for hundred of kilometers around Tokyo-3 while inside the aircraft a battle staff of twenty officers and crew monitored threats and directed fighters to their targets.

Because NERV had very little in the way of an air force, gaining air superiority over the GeoFront was easy for the Japanese and the staff on board the 767 performed in a routine fashion, thankful that to them the battle looked like it would mostly stay on the ground.

As the plane commander, a Lieutenant Colonel in the JSDAF, sat in his chair and sipped on tea a technician in front of him called out new activity. "Intermittent air contact at 113, moving at 900 knots."

"Can you identify the contact?" the commander asked.

"Negative. No response on IFF. Oh, wait," the crewman checked his scope again. "It's gone now."

"Probably some sort of anomaly, like a balloon or something. Keep an eye out for it," the commander said. "NERV's not supposed to have a real air threat but who knows what they were coming up with."

There was a pause as the controllers went about their work. Suddenly the same technician called out targets again, but this time it wasn't routine.

"Inbound missiles! Bearing 112 and coming in fast!"

"How many?" the commander shouted back.

"Three moving right towards us...no, now six!"

"Air commander to cockpit, inbound missiles. Initiate evasive actions. Starting countermeasures."

Another controller now yelled out "Inbound missiles bearing 278 closing in now."

"Where did they come from?" the commander demanded.

"Source unknown! It's like they popped out of no where!"

"Bullshit! There's fighters out there somewhere." The commander shouted orders as the AWACS made a sharp banking turn and the entire cabin leaned heavily to the left. "Direct Eagles 1 and 2 to intercept." The airframe of the 767 then suddenly shuddered as a loud noise was heard.

"What was that?" the commander barked.

"Eagle 1 is down! Eagle 2 is in evasive action!"

"Commander to cockpit, get us out of here!" the colonel ordered. "AirDefCom this is AWACS we are being attacked by unknown stealth-type fighters. We are being attacked by..."

The commander never finished his distress call. At that moment three radar-seeking missiles slammed into the large aircraft. Two missiles exploded next to the large radar dome on top of the 767, while another hit the aircraft's left wing and shredded the fuel tanks. Within a second a massive fireball consumed the aircraft as smoke and debris filled the sky.

A few seconds later two gray-painted fighters swooped past the three dissipating fireballs. The pair of YF-23s, prototype stealth interceptors from an American research project, flew past the black and orange smoke at just over the speed of sound as they hunted for more targets.

"ARES 11 to OLYMPUS. Enemy AWACS is down! Repeat, Enemy AWACS is down!"

* * *

_Australia_

Sir John Sheffield stood at his desk at the Pine Gap command center and watched the large displays. Three clusters of blue symbols were now approaching Japan from three different directions, and one smaller group of blue symbols was already over the red-shaded battlespace. One of the controllers called out "ARES reports enemy AWACS down."

"Good," responded Sheffield. "Situation on their air defense network?"

"Reports are 18 out of 23 radar stations are damaged, including 7 out of 8 on the Eastern zone. Air Defense control center at Nagano also recorded as hit, damage unknown."  
"Excellent. Instruct ARES to concentrate on their remaining fighter cover. We'll need to clear the airspace so our boys have a clean shot at this." Sheffield turned to another officer. "Status on NERV?"

The female officer didn't face him but gave him the report quickly. "Global Hawk recon reports Japanese are moving in division strength, with three mechanized and one air assault brigades enclosing on the GeoFront. They've eliminated nearly 70% of the remaining NERV fortress system with moderate casualties to their own. Two special forces battalions have penetrated into the GeoFront directly and are moving to the sub levels. No word on NERV casualties or status due to the firewall on their communications."

"And their EVAs?" Sir John asked.

"No activity seen yet, sir."

"ETA of ZEUS and APOLLO?"

"Still fifteen minutes out."

"They're getting ahead of us. Instruct POSIEDON to launch the rest of their attack force. Keep ZEUS abreast of developments."

"Yes, sir."

Sir John bit his lip as he looked up at the display again. _This is going to be a near-run thing, isn't it?_

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

In Central Dogma the controllers frantically worked as the enemy progressed deeper into the Geofront. One the large displays flashed "EVA-02 Launch" as the rest of the battle staff struggled to keep up with the battle.

"EVA-02 launched via Route 8," Hyuga reported. "Stabilized at a depth of 70 meters." Unit 02, with a barely conscious Asuka inside of it, had been launched out into the artificial lake inside the GeoFront's spacious interior. Laid on the lake floor five hundred meters down, the hope was that they could hide it as long as possible.

"Launch EVA-01 next!" Misato ordered. "Deploy it inside the GeoFront!"

Lt. Aoba shouted back "Negative! The pilot hasn't arrived yet!"

"What!" Misato cried. Lt. Aoba showed the visual of Shinji's location. Far away from the EVA cages, he was sitting in a stairwell far on the west wing of the facility. "Oh, no!" W_hat the hell is he doing?_ _If he doesn't get over to the cages they'll kill him for sure!_

The audio channel kept coming up with bad news. "Closing all Central Dogma barricades up to Level 2. All non-combat personnel evacuate via Route 87." NERV had lost control of the top level of the facility, and the Japanese were rapidly pushing deeper inside. Aoba reported more disaster. "Number 3 underground barricade destroyed! Enemy forces invading Level 2!"

The Commander and Futsuyuki continued to look at the tactical display in silence. After observing the battle's negative progress for a few more moments the Vice Commander mulled out loud, "The JSSDF have committed almost an entire division...it's only a matter of time before they take us over completely." He looked at his old friend. Without saying anything else they both understood the ultimate matter at hand.

_It's finally time._ Gendo took a deep breath and slowly got out of his chair. Ikari addressed the Vice Commander by his old title. "Futsuyuki-sensei, please take care of things here."

The old professor looked at him and smiled. "I understand," he said. "Please give my regards to Yui." Futsuyuki watched as the commander silently walked to the elevator on their platform and slowly sunk down below the command platform.

_Ten years of painstaking effort and it comes to this_, the Vice Commander thought. _And here I am his faithful companion left behind. But we both knew at the end of things only he could finish this. _

_I only hope that he decides wisely, for I know how his heart aches. Choose your ending well, Gendo Rokubungi..._

* * *

_Off the Japanese coast_

On the observation deck of the _Liberator_, Kensuke Aida leaned over the railing as he strained his neck to see the activity above him on the flight deck. The noise of rotors was deafening but he didn't care. This was a dream come true.

Alarm klaxons were heard as the ship went to a higher state of activity. Out in the ocean missiles wooshed from launch rails to find their targets, and rapid-fire cannons shot down incoming missiles from the Japanese Naval Defense Force. Some of those incoming missiles had found targets, and one destroyer in the distance burned in anger.

While Kensuke tried to find the giant composition of noises above him a sailor running down the deck quickly handed him a helmet and protective headphones and then kept running down. Kensuke quickly donned the earphones and helmet and then looked up again at the flight deck.

Above him fifteen Osprey tilt-rotors floated upwards as their engines made the transition from vertical to horizontal flight. Then as a group the Ospreys, joined by a smaller number of Harrier fighters in escort, roared off to the west. As he watched them go, Kensuke jumped up and down on the deck, cheering wildly. Just as they soared off, another set of fighters above Kensuke rushed west at high speed. As he looked all around, missile after missile flew into the air as the Alliance's naval force put all of its strength into the battle.

As he watched the battle, Kensuke knew which missiles were being fired and how long it would take them to reach their targets. He knew each type of aircraft flew in the air and each ship in the ocean by class and individual name. He even knew which radars the ships had and what they their functions were. Most of all, he knew at that moment as he was able to watch the Battle of the GeoFront unfold, that he was probably the luckiest fourteen-year old boy alive.

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

The mood in Central Dogma had become much more tense as the desperation of their situation was becoming apparent. In the last few minutes the JSSDF special forces had fully invested Level 2, pouring more and more troops into the battle as NERV's small defense forces struggled to make a stand.

"Level 3 Block B invaded!" a voice was heard from the tactical operators below the operations deck. "Defense Impossible!"

Lt. Aoba confirmed the breach. "Enemy also confirmed in Block F! Main bypass under crossfire!"

Misato understood the seriousness of the situation: once the enemy got past Level 3, they would be able to get to all of the lower subterranean levels of the GeoFront, giving them access to Central Dogma, the MAGI system that was underneath them, and then eventually to the Evangelions themselves.

"Abandon Levels 1 to 3!" she ordered. "Combat teams, retreat! Release Bakelite into all passages and pipes up to Section 803!"  
"Yes, Ma'am," Aoba acknowledged.

Bakelite was the chemical used to harness Angels (and Evangelions). Made out of a unique alloy developed by NERV, Bakelite was a cross between cement and Super Glue. It could be poured as hot liquid and then solidify within seconds as it cooled, becoming nearly impossible to break off without highly powerful explosives. By pumping bakelite through the upper decks Misato hoped to form another barrier between them and the JSSDF, allowing them to buy them time to get EVA-01 into action and reorganize their defenses.

Misato and the controllers watched as they saw color shades representing the bakelite flow into the tactical map above them, between the sections NERV still controlled and the Japanese. "This should slow them down a bit," she said smugly.

"Major Katsuragi!" Hyuga interrupted, "Route 47 has been cut off...Group Three is unable to advance! If they can't get there Ikari-kun will be..."

_Oh God, No! _"All non-combat personnel avoid close combat!" Misato gave her last orders as she took her pistol out of its holster and checked again to see that the magazine was fully loaded. "The enemy forces are professionals. If you can't fall back to Central Dogma it's better to surrender." She leaned over to Hyuga's station and whispered in his ear. "Sorry. Please take care of things here."

"Sure," he whispered back. Misato then ran for the exit.

Hyuga didn't watch her go, as he tried to concentrate on what he needed to do and didn't think about the risk to her or anyone else. _We can't lose this_, he thought to himself. _It can't all be for nothing!_

_Katsuragi-san, please take care. I really want to see you again, _he hoped, but somehow he knew he wouldn't.

* * *

General Yamashita observed the battle from his command position outside of the GeoFront, watching his men and armored vehicles progress further and further into NERV's defense rings. His men had initially made good progress against the static NERV defenses, but once inside the facility they had encountered a myriad of obstacles, the red bakelite his special forces had just reported only being one of then. Still even so, they were advancing.

"This is more difficult than expected," he said to his adjutant.

"We never get the easy jobs, sir," the young officer replied back to him.

* * *

Hyuga and Aoba could now hear the echos of gunfire from just outside Central Dogma, and felt one explosion reverberate through the walls. They looked at each other and then both of them moved out of their chairs and together uncovered a metal panel that was in the middle of the floor of the operations deck. Puling up the panel they began to take out several weapons, including sub-machine guns and pistols, as well as ammunition and grenades.

"This is bad," Hyuga said to Aoba. "We were never equipped with full-scale close combat weapons."

"Yeah," the long-haired controller responded. "Anti-terror measures at best."

Hyuga began to slam in loaded magazines. "If the JSSDF mounts a serious attack we don't stand a chance!"

Below them there was a loud explosion. Both of the men ducked for cover underneath their consoles. Lt. Maya Ibiki was already on the floor with her back against the console wall. Hyuga took a peek over the console and saw a squad of JSSDF with heavy body armor, including full-length shields, rushing through a large hole in the armored bulkhead of the control center. They immediately came under fire from NERV security on the bottom floor and returned the fire in much higher volume.

From the pile of weapons on the floor Aoba handed an automatic pistol to the petite Maya, placing it in her hands. "Release the safety."

Maya's whole body was shaking "I...I can't shoot..."

Hyuga tried to be comforting. "Of course you can! Just pretend this is training."

"But I wasn't shooting at people then!" she protested.

Hearing more gunfire below, Aoba lost his patience. "Idiot! It's kill or be killed!"

* * *

_Australia_

As the overhead display showed a series of blue arrows moving closer and closer to Tokyo-3, Sheffield was now on the lower floor hovering over the shoulder of one of the controller staff.

"Status of initial missile wave?" he asked quietly.

The female officer responded with an American accent. "Three minutes to target, sir."

"Divert a larger portion of the wave to the Western side of the GeoFront. We need to give APOLLO more space to get down safely."

"Yes, sir." After a moment she reported back. "All target adjustments are laid in. Missile wave is concentrating on enemy mobile armor and air defense units."

"Right. Be sure there are no NERV targets in the wave. It won't do to make new friends by blowing up their defenses."


	17. Chapter 16

After she escaped being killed earlier, Rei came down to Terminal Dogma by elevator and then immersed herself in one of the LCL discharge pools on the level. In the past whenever she was troubled she had come to the pools to float in the warm LCL inside the pools and collect her thoughts. It felt comforting to her, like being an unborn child inside of a mother's womb, which was an experience she never had. It was also a way to isolate herself from the world and try to determine for herself the meanings of things. This day of all days was the most troubling to her and she lost track of time, floating naked in the pool oblivious to the raging conflict above her.

A voice inside her mind spoke to her and told her to go to the Dummy Plug Plant, which was not far away. She obeyed, leaving her clothes folded next to the discharge tank and walking still naked through the dark tunnels to the plant.

Upon arriving in the cavernous room where the plant was located she saw the familiar scan tube she had spent so much of her recent time in. Now visible to her behind it was a large tank containing orange LCL, and filled with floating body parts.

For the few years she had existed she had been in this room many times, but never saw what was behind the wall. Despite that, every time she was here she always had an uncomfortable feeling being in the plant room. Now seeing the storage tank in front of her she knew exactly why.

Rei walked up to the surface of the tank and placed her hand on the glass. She watched as pieces of herself drifted past. Arms, legs, heads and other parts swirled silently in the orange liquid, kept preserved in the LCL.

Somehow she had always known that she was not the first: her contact with the "Me" inside of Unit 00 had confirmed that. The complete truth of her existence was always the great unknown to her, the mystery that her mind constantly worked at solving. Seeing the remains of nearly one hundred corpses of herself that truth was now presented to her in astonishingly stark view.

She looked inside the tank and saw the bodies, especially noticing the heads. The eyes were open, the mouths smiling. Rei knew that the smile on their faces wasn't from emotion, rather it was the effect of relaxed facial muscles that weren't being used. All of these bodies were shells, without a soul, without feeling, and until a few days ago the body she now possessed had also been one of them.

_Why would someone destroy us_, she wondered. Perhaps the clones no longer served a purpose, or perhaps they were destroyed in anger. If the second answer was correct, only one person she knew was capable of such an act.

Joining with the "Me" inside EVA-00 had revealed to her the horror of the first Rei's death. That Rei, with the body of a four-year-old child, was strangled in a fit of rage by Dr. Agaki's mother, who had then in guilt flung herself off of the command platform in Central Dogma.

Rei had always felt she couldn't trust the younger Dr. Akagi. Formed in the image of the Commander's wife, Rei had unknowingly become the nemesis of the scientist, and just like her mother, Ritsuko had also made Rei the subject of her jealous rage.

While her face didn't show it, in her heart Rei felt the deepest sadness. She had thought that once having made the discovery of her true being she would find completeness in her soul, a way to rationalize her mind, body, and spirit. Now seeing the dead copies of herself drifting in the blood of LCL, she began to lose whatever hope she clung to of establishing her own identity.

_I am only a doll after all._

Rei heard footsteps echoing from the front of the room and slowly turned around. Out of the darkness came Commander Ikari, stumbling towards her.

"Rei," he said, "I thought you'd be here." He stopped in front of her and spoke to her softly.

"The promised time has come. Let's go."

* * *

Deep within the crevices of the GeoFront teams of black-clad soldiers fanned out among the many tunnels and corridors. JSSDF Special Forces troopers moved through the fortress in groups of three, hunting for targets in the many rooms and hiding places that the underground facility afforded.

One team of three moved swiftly down a narrow hallway lit only by emergency lighting on the floor. "EVA pilots are to be terminated on sight," a female voice on the radio crackled. "Unconditional execution of all non-combat personnel authorized."

_Well _that _certainly simplifies things_, the team leader thought. Before the attack he and the rest of the soldiers in his unit were briefed on the dangers the EVA posed to Japan and the world. While it was regrettable that the EVA's teenage pilots needed to be killed, the danger that any one of them could pose by piloting was far greater of a threat. The higher powers had decided it was best to just eliminate any risk, and if that meant killing three 14-year-olds and other civilians to prevent the Apocalypse, so be it.

They had run into sporadic resistance from NERV security at times but it was nothing they couldn't handle. Now deeper into the lower layers of the GeoFront they were encountering more and more technical staff, and treating them the same way as the security personnel: with absolutely no mercy.

The three-man team went carefully down a flight of stairs, peering at the corners through their night-vision goggles to ensure they didn't miss anyone hiding in the dark. Once at the bottom they then paced down another dark access way and saw someone wondering around. The man, wearing a khaki NERV uniform, was oblivious to their presence and very disoriented.

The man heard a noise in the background and turned around, startled at the three soldiers. He threw up his hands in shock. "Don't shoot!" he told them. "I'm Japanese!"

_Traitor. _The team leader raised up his sub-machine gun and promptly put a round in the man's forehead. He flew backwards and against the wall, dead before his body slid down to the floor.

The three man team continued down the access way and reached another flight of stairs. After going down half a flight they saw another person on their night-vision scopes. This one was smaller, wearing a white shirt and dark pants, and he was just sitting on the stairs.

One of the soldiers pointed his gun to shoot at the figure, but the team leader waived him off. Followed by the other two he walked carefully to the boy. The solitary figure didn't look up at the soldiers, but just sat there with his head bowed down. The team leader took a careful look at him and recognized the face, remembering it from the pre-mission briefing: it was Shinji Ikari, EVA pilot and son of NERV's commander.

_Poor kid. He knows what's coming_. The team leader called it in to his superior. "Third Child found. Will proceed with termination." As the other two soldiers watched, the team leader placed the barrel of his sub-machine gun against Shinji's forehead. Shinji didn't look up, but just sat there trembling. "Nothing personal, kid," he said to him quietly.

The team leader heard shots in the distance and looked to his left. Charging down the hallway was a figure in red and black, shooting a pistol two-handed as her long black hair flew behind her. In a split second the sergeant saw his two teammates go down and tried to bring his weapon to bear on the oncoming threat, but before he could swing it upward she kicked the sub-machine gun out of his hands.

He struggled to pull out his backup pistol but the woman had pinned him to the railing, her pistol now pointing upwards under his chin. He started shaking as he looked into her raging eyes.

With her teeth gritted she said to him under her breath "Nothing personal here, _either_!" The last thing the man felt was a bolt of hot metal shooting up through his brain.

She watched as the dead body slumped to the ground, her pistol still smoking. Misato looked down at the still sitting Shinji, who was now shaking uncontrollably. She sighed and then grabbed his arm to drag him off the stairs. "Come on...let's get you to EVA-01."

Misato had to literally drag Shinji back to her car, grabbing a radio from the dead solider before she left the scene. Once back to the car she listened to JSSDF communications on the radio as Shinji just sat there on the parking lot floor with his head hung down.

"Damn!" she said to herself. "They're trying to prevent physical contact between Shinji and EVA-01. There's no time to lose!" Misato turned to the boy. "Quick, Shinji. Do you want to run away, or go to EVA? Pick one." The boy just sat there in silence.

"Look," she said to him, "if we stay here we'll die for nothing!"

Shinji didn't look at her but spoke in a soft, whimpering whisper. "Help me, Asuka...help me..."

Misato nearly lost her temper. "Hiding behind a girl at a time like this? Running from reality? Lying to yourself? Doing things half-assed is the worst thing you can do! Stand up! STAND UP!"

"No," the boy said mournfully, "Just let me die. I don't want to do anything."

The officer exploded at him. "Stop talking like a spoiled brat! You're still alive, aren't you? So, do all you can do keep yourself alive and then die afterward!" Without saying another word she proceeded to grab his arm and lift him off the parking lot floor, shoving him into her car.

* * *

General Yamashita kept his eye on the battle from his position, continually directing his forces as they encountered pockets of resistance from the remainders of NERV's forces. His young adjutant came over with the radio and spoke with him. "The Defense Agency wants to know why we haven't secured the objective yet."

The general sighed. From a military perspective his division had been making great progress. "What do they think this is, a video game?"

"They've authorized the use of Special Weapons in order to take control over the enemy," the adjudant said.

Yamashita gave himself a little smile. _That should speed things up._ "Very well. Patch me through to Artillery command." His assistant changed the radio signal and put him through to the artillery commander. "Arty, this is Command. Launch the ballistic missile on the enemy strong point." He listened for the confirmation. "Yes, it's authorized by the Prime Minister himself. Put it right on top of the dome. Once it's opened up launch a full rocket barrage straight through the top, use the entire battalion. That will clear up any opposition inside." The general then gave the young officer back the radio receiver. "As soon as the artillery barrage on the GeoFront is clear instruct the Air Assault brigade to move through the opening and engage anything that's left. That should clear the rats out of the nest."

Fifty kilometers behind them an armored artillery vehicle raised its rocket launcher and then launched a single, large missile. The missile shot straight up into the air reaching an elevation of fifty thousand feet, then changed course and pointed straight down towards the northern end of Lake Ashi. Moving at many times the speed of sound the rocket splashed down into the lake and once making contact with the bottom surface detonated its warhead. Visible from a great distance, the N2 bomb shook the entire Kanto basin as it shattered the top layer of the GeoFront.

In Central Dogma the controllers could feel the entire room shift violently as the nuclear bomb exploded.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Hyuga shouted.

Vice Commander Futsuyuki was now crouching on the operations deck along with the three controllers. "Playing a bit rough, aren't we?"

Once the mushroom cloud of the N2 was visible, the JSSDF's field artillery units poured firepower into the cavity at the top of the GeoFront. Hundreds of rockets streamed into the opening and released their warheads inside the GeoFront itself. The inside space was filled with billowing clouds of fire, smoke and metal as hundreds of thousands of cluster bomblets exploded inside.

As the reverberations of the rocket strikes were felt in Central Dogma, Maya covered her ears and screamed. "WHY DO THEY WANT THE EVAS SO BADLY?"

* * *

Flying low at one thousand feet above sea level Admiral Vinson's Thunderbird crossed the Japanese coastline along with the rest of the Alliance force racing towards Tokyo-3. Once the assault force flew over the rocky eastern shore they caught the bright flash of the N2 detonating over the GeoFront, aircraft buffeting as the shock wave was felt.

"OLYMPUS, this is ZEUS. Did you catch that?"

"Affirmative," Sheffield replied. "They've launched a full barrage on the target now. Given the progress that we've been monitoring we're nearly out of time."

"When does the missile wave strike?" Vinson asked.

"Should be any moment now."

Yamashita smiled as he watched his helicopter forces fly into the large opening at the top of the GeoFront they had just cracked open. While drastic, using the N2 to punch a hole in NERV's underground facility would help him pour more forces into the GeoFront and hopefully force a quick surrender. Already he had radio reports that the command center was being directly assaulted, and there were troops by the EVA cages. One of the pilots had possibly been taken out as well. As long as they kept up the pressure it was only a matter of time before his division would own the place.

His adjutant came to him with the radio again. "It's the Defense Agency again."  
The general sighed. "Now what?"

"They say the nationwide air defense network has been severely disrupted due to enemy air attack."

Yamashita raised an eyebrow. "How?"  
"Reports are of stealth-type fighters attacking our air cover and missile strikes on radar and missile installations," the adjutant reported.  
"Impossible. NERV doesn't have those kinds of weapons. If they've launched an attack like that we would have seen them do it."

"But then who did?" the officer asked him.

Just as the general was about to grab the radio and speak with his superiors they heard a loud whooshing sound. He and the younger officer were then knocked back several meters as a fireball engulfed the command vehicle in front of them. Both of the men pushed themselves off the ground and saw the burning wreckage of their command track. All around them on the battlefield there were more fireballs and tall rows of billowing black smoke.

The general looked around for the source of the attacks and saw a missile fly just over their heads, headed straight for a column of tanks. As he watched, the missile exploded fifty feet above the tanks in a debris cloud of metal and then suddenly multiple tongues of flame shot from the debris cloud straight through the weaker top armor of four of the tanks. Each of the tanks that were struck immediately exploded.

_Armor-sensing weapons_, the general observed. _Only the UN would have a system that sophisticated. What the devil is going on?_

The two men heard another loud noise and looked up and saw a gray-painted fighter, a Swedish-made Griffin, fire missiles at the remaining tanks in the column and exploding another three of them. The fighter then flew past and over the treeline next to them, the general noticing that there were no wing markings on the craft as it went by. Up above them in the sky there were suddenly dozens more aircraft of all shapes and sizes, and all starting to get into the fight.

Yamashita's adjutant looked at him in complete surprise. "They're not UN!" he said.

"I can see that!"

"Then who are they?"

"Doesn't matter," the general replied, trying to think his way through the new situation. "Get the radio working, we need to get this changed around and quickly."

* * *

Vinson's force was now directly above the battlefield, as his fighters began to engage targets on the ground and whatever was left in the air. The area around them had been transformed into a violent concerto of machines killing other machines, with fire and black smoke rising above. The cockpit of Vinson's Thunderbolt crackled with noise as other aircraft started calling in targets while Vinson directed the assault.

"Put fighters on their rear rocket units, we don't want them to pop another N2 on top of us," he ordered. "Get the other Thunderbolts over to the west side and have them start to work over enemy units there. We need to get APOLLO on the ground ASAP."

"Aye, aye, sir," the junior officer behind him reported and then went to work on his terminal.

The admiral checked his own tactical display to see where his and everyone else's units were. Vinson asked his assistant again "Any sign of their EVAs?"

"No, sir. But the Japanese sent their air assault forces into the gap over there right after the blast." He pointed to where the N2 had blasted a whole under Lake Ashi and was now a towering column of water vapor and smoke.

"Then maybe they're keeping the EVAs inside the GeoFront." Vinson keyed his microphone to another audio channel. "Command to pilot, get us over to the GeoFront through the top opening."

The Thunderbird's pilot came on in his helmet. "You mean go down _inside_ there, sir?"

"That's where the action's at, son! Now move!"

* * *

Inside the entry plug of EVA-02 Asuka woke to the vibrations of bombs exploding next to her EVA at the bottom of the lake. NERV had launched her EVA through an underground tunnel beneath the shallow artificial lake inside the GeoFront. She was still groggy and incoherent when her EVA launched but now that the plug was shaking violently with each blast she had finally become wide awake.

As the explosions moved closer and closer the girl became more afraid and she lay in the seat of the control throne crawled up in a ball, her eyes shut tight and her body shivering in fear.

"I don't want to die!" she kept repeating to herself over and over, hoping the litany would provide some protection over her. _Please no! I'm afraid to die! Please..._

At the far end of the entry plug a glowing light began to appear. Asuka didn't notice it at first, until the source of the light moved towards where she lay. When the light was directly over her she felt something touch her head and she slowly opened her eyes and looked up. Floating in front of her was a white apparition in the form of a female figure. She had long flowing hair like Asuka's, and her gentle eyes looked right at her.

"Mama?" Asuka asked weakly. In response the ghost smiled brightly at her.

"Mama!" the girl exclaimed, feeling the energy of the apparition around her. The joy upon seeing the image had driven away her fear, as Asuka smiled back at the ghost.

_I understand now – the meaning of the AT Field. It's always protecting me! Always watching over me!_

Asuka sat up in her seat, her arms wide open as she felt the warmth of the light that was now embracing her. "Always, always together! MAMA!"

* * *

Hovering over the lake in the GeoFront, a Japanese Super Cobra helicopter waited as something began to stir from the bottom of the lake.

"Did we get it?" the weapons officer asked the pilot. Before he could respond both men saw the looming image of a frigate being lifted straight out of the water and being thrown at them. The Super Cobra was destroyed in an instant.

Unit 02 rapidly rose from the lake as other helicopters attempted to fire on it. Even though it was unarmed the red Evangelion began to tear apart each aircraft it saw, swatting them like insects. EVA-02 smashed each helicopter in turn and then used the burnt-out frame of one destroyed gunship to club others in quick succession.

In Central Dogma Hyuga and Aoba were now too busy to monitor the outside battle, as they took turns popping over the edge of the operation deck and firing on the JSSDF commandos shooting at them from the bottom floor of the command room. Maya hid behind the stations with her laptop watching the battle as Futsuyuki also watched, giving out orders to their remaining defenders. A signal on her display appeared showed that EVA-02 was now active and engaging the enemy. "EVA-02 is active!" she shouted excitedly. "Asuka's okay! She's still alive!"

Futsuyuki saw the monitor and pointed at another set of unidentified markers on the display. "Who are those? More JSSDF?"

"Unknown, sir," she responded. She watched for a minute and saw that the unknown targets were engaging the known JSSDF ones. "Wait a minute! They're firing on the enemy."

"Who is?"  
"I don't know," she replied. "There's no further data on them. It looks like another armed force."

"Great," Aoba commented as he shot his rifle over the console wall. "They're fighting over who gets to kill us first!"

"Looks like we're popular today!" Hyuga cynically joked as he dropped down and reloaded a magazine into his sub-machine gun.

On the ground inside the GeoFront interior a JSSDF captain saw the red EVA trouncing over their aircraft and quickly grabbed his radio. "The cable!" he shouted into the receiver. "That thing's power cable! Concentrate all fire on the cable!"

At his command machine gun and grenade teams from all around began to fire on the telescoping steel cable behind Unit 02, joined in by whatever gunships were left in the air. After nearly a minute of withering fire the cable suddenly severed, spinning all around the air as it recoiled back underneath the lake.

An alarm sounded as Asuka saw the power monitor switch from Cable Mode to Timer, as the energy level in the EVA's batteries counted down from five minutes. "Shit!"

She quickly put the setback behind her, picking up her pace as she kicked and crushed the remaining aircraft around her. Charged up with emotionally energy, the adrenaline pumping through her body, Asuka had never felt more alive. Gone was her aching loneliness and despair. Today she had risen from the dead. She was Asuka Soryu Langley, the greatest Evangelion pilot that had ever lived, and she was going to conquer anything that stood in her way.


	18. Chapter 17

Above the GeoFront the battle intensified as more Alliance aircraft arrived at the scene. A flight of three B-1 bombers flew above the ground at near-sonic speed, disgorging their load of two hundred guided bombs which came down on the Japanese forces like a hurricane made of fire and steel. The surviving JSSDF forces on the ground tried to reorganize, seeking cover in the woods or hiding behind destroyed NERV emplacements as others started to use anti-aircraft guns and missiles on the new enemy.

Two minutes after the attack began the second portion of the Alliance's assault wave came over the battlefield. Over two dozen air transports lowered their rear cargo doors and hundreds of paratroopers jumped out, their green and black parachutes pocketing the dawning sky. Close to the train sub-station more blasts were felt as newly-arrived Harriers fired on Japanese tanks and armored cars positioned there, while tilt-rotor Ospreys landed behind them deploying squads of marines. The landed marines immediately moved into the station and engaged in firefights with the Japanese soldiers hidden inside, The Alliance had now fully joined the battle.

On the western side of Tokyo-3 a flight of four C-17 transports also launched their cargo, as two large wrapped pallets were rolled out of each one at 10,000 feet. Dragged out of the aircraft by several parachutes, the bulky pallets swung in the air behind the transports and then jettisoned their parachutes as several larger chutes now popped open above them. Drifting to the earth at one hundred miles per hour, the pallets bounced roughly as they hit the ground, most of them landing on or nearby the major highway leading to NERV.

Following the heavy cargo to the surface were more than a hundred other paratroopers, who swiftly landed close to the pallets. Once they hit the ground some of the men were killed by machine gun fire from a nearby APC. Two paratroopers who had already landed launched missiles at the vehicle and it promptly exploded. Other soldiers ran to the pallets and jumped on top of them, pulling down the parachutes and opening up their camouflage covers. Within seconds each pallet was stripped to reveal an armored vehicle inside: an eight-wheeled Piranha twenty tons in weight. Engines were started, turrets rotated, and cargo doors opened as soldiers climbed inside. Once loaded with their crews the Piranhas rolled off the pallets and advanced down the highway.

Inside one of the Piranhas was Colonel Burke, who was on the satellite radio almost as soon as he climbed in.

"OLYMPUS, this is APOLLO. We've left our LZ and are proceeding to objective."

"Copy, that APOLLO," Sheffield replied. "Please use all expeditious speed. Intel reports enemy has penetrated deeply inside already."

"Understood," Burke replied and signed off. He then turned to the man sitting next to him.  
"So, Mr. Musashi, how do you suggest we proceed?"

Musashi was dressed like the rest of the soldiers, in dark green and blue camouflage uniforms, along with helmets and body armor. "The fastest way inside is in the access way at the end of the Visitor Parking lot," he told the colonel. "There's a tunnel there that leads to the central shaft of the GeoFront. From there we can reach the EVA cages and Terminal Dogma. Hopefully our inside man has done his job," Musashi smirked.

"Yeah, well let's hope we even get that far." Burke signaled the driver in front to follow Musashi's instructions and then ordered the entire company to follow their vehicle.

It didn't take long to reach the parking lot: It was at the side of the freeway, with large signs in Japanese and English reading "WELCOME TO NERV" as well as various signs about the area being under strict security and that trespassers would be shot on sight. Parked next to the underground parking lot opening were two JSSDF armored vehicles. One was blasted immediately by one of APOLLO's heavy-gun mounted Piranhas, while the other opened fire with its own cannon and managed to damage an Alliance vehicle before being destroyed.

The seven remaining Piranhas sped into the parking lot, rolling towards the back and a large open access way perhaps ten meters across. Standing in front of it were a squad of JSSDF special forces who dove for cover behind civilian cars as the Alliance vehicles approached. One of the soldiers hit a control switch on the wall that quickly closed the access way with a large steel door. Others opened fire on the vehicles with their automatic weapons and anti-tank rockets.

Cannon fire from all of the Piranhas swept through the parking lot, exploding cars and trucks in a mess of smoke and hot metal and quickly killing or incapacitating all of the enemy they saw inside. Burke looked through his scope inside the passenger bay of his vehicle and saw the armored door. "The door's closed!" he told Musashi.

"I can get out there and open it," he replied.

"No bother. We'll do it the easy way. " Burke got on the radio to his heavy-gun vehicle. "APOLLO 22 blow the door out now!" The heavy-gun vehicle fired a round at the armored door and it flashed in an explosion. As soon as the smoke cleared however Burke looked at the scope and saw the door was still there, a large black smoke stain visible on the center. "Shit!"

"Those doors have armor a hundred millimeters thick," Musashi told him without being asked. Burke realized the solution and contacted his heavy gun commander again. "APOLLO 22, load AP and try again!"

"Copy, APOLLO," the heavy gun commander replied and then told his gun crew "Load Sabot!" An armor-piercing shell with a depleted uranium tip (used for its high material density) was loaded into the tank gun and fired at the door. Burke looked through his scope and now saw a large hole in the door big enough to see through, but not big enough to drive through. "Do it again!" he ordered. Moments later another tank round hit the door, this time blowing it completely off.

The colonel didn't give himself time to celebrate. "Let's go, now!" he barked into his microphone. "Rear unit stays, cover our asses!" Six Piranhas rammed through the access way and down a dark tunnel, while one remaining armored vehicle pulled up to the opening and rolled its gun turret towards the parking lot entrance. Soldiers scrambled out the back door and started to spread out through the wreckage of the parking lot looking for any surviving enemy.

* * *

The men of SEELE were also observing the battlefield and were not pleased with the development of a new fighting force arriving on scene. Add to it that EVA-02 had awoken and was now destroying every JSSDF unit in sight and the current scenario looked as it might fail. However even this situation had been anticipated.

"That loathsome Evangelion," SEELE 01 said to the others. "Do they stand in our way yet again? It seems that we must fight fire with fire..."

* * *

General Sheffield quickly walked over to the reconnaissance officer's station as he frantically worked at reviving Global Hawk, their aerial drone. They had lost contact with the drone a minute earlier as it was gliding at high altitude above the battlefield.

"Can you make contact with it?" Sheffield asked.

"Doesn't reply to anything," the officer responded in frustration. After more effort the younger man pounded his fists on his station. "It's no use sir, I think they shot her down."

"Damn. Contact the fleet and see if they can launch another drone out there. We need to see what's going on." Sheffield was about to go to his command station when another controller called out "Visual on new enemy targets!" Sheffield looked up at the screen as the image was projected. On the screen, taken from the gun camera of one of the Alliance's fighters, was a group of bat-wing like aircraft descending down on the battlefield.

"Oh my God," Sir John said quietly.

* * *

ZEUS was in his Thunderbolt circling around the GeoFront interior and trying to stay clear of Unit 02. The immediate area around the EVA was a mess of wrecked helicopters. The red Evangelion for its part was looking around for anything else to kill.

"ZEUS, OLYMPUS," Vinson heard on the radio.

"Copy, OLYMPUS."  
"Look up." Vinson did as asked and saw that there were nine white winged figures circling above them. He didn't have to guess what they were.

"God almighty! All nine of them!" ZEUS replied. "Time to pull the trump cards."

The arrival of the Mass Production EVAs wasn't unnoticed at Central Dogma either. Futsuyuki crouched below the stations as Maya showed him the new threat on her laptop screen. The vice commander raised his eyebrows in alarm. "Deployment of all nine units? Isn't that a bit excessive?"

_Third Impact_, he thought._ They're not going to wait..._

Asuka saw above her the white EVAs flying in formation and circling downwards towards her. She also knew what they were, having learned of the Mass Production program from Kaji early on. She fingered her actuators in anticipation as Misato's voice came on the communications link.

"Listen Asuka. You must destroy all of the EVA series. I'll have Shinji there to help soon. Do your best!" Misato then signed off,

As Asuka watched the monsters land she said to herself in frustration. "I have to destroy them all? Is she forgetting I was just in a coma?" Asuka looked all around her and saw the EVAs surround her from all sides around the artificial lake in the GeoFront, grinning at her with their eyeless faces and large teeth. She saw her EVA's battery clock counting down, and then took a second to make the mental calculations she needed.

"Nine units in three and a half minutes. That works out to only twenty seconds apiece!" At that she cracked her knuckles and took a deep breath. _Here we go..._

_

* * *

_

On board the container ship Mary Illustrious waited inside the entry plug of her own Evangelion. She sat inside the chamber wearing her plug suit as well as a virtual reality helmet plugged into the back of the throne by dozens of cables, a necessity as her EVA's optic system was unfinished.

"Wellie?" she asked her controller.

Wellington was onboard a different ship from Mary and her EVA, as she had a control station inside the _Liberator's_ Tactical Action Center. Dr. Viraat sat next to her at his own station.

"What is it, Lusty?"

"How did my mum die?"

The controller drew a long breath. "What brings this up?"

"Something the American boy told me back in Oz," Mary said plainly. "You know his mum is gone, too."

"It was an accident, of course."

"Did it involve the EVA?" Mary asked. Wellington was about to answer when she received a signal from the command link. "Uh,oh. Looks like you're on!"

"Finally!"

"Right," Wellington confirmed. "We're going to launch you on the rocket sled. It will take you thirty-five seconds to arrive on target. Once you're almost over the boosters tied into your frame will automatically go off to ensure you a soft landing inside the GeoFront. After that you'll have three minutes and twenty seconds of battery life remaining to defeat the Mass Production types."

"Not more battery?" Mary asked

"Sorry, my child," Dr. Viraat. "Best I can do under the circumstances, but your weapon systems are fully functional and you still can use your AT Field."

Wellington came on again. "Don't try to take them all on at once like in Osaka-2. Defeat each one in turn then go on to the next one. EVA-04 is also there so you're alone this time."

"Thanks!"

The officer started the launch sequence. "You're off in ten seconds. Two last things: use your power lance, it's your best weapon."

" And?"

"We'll go over the bit with your mum after you get back." _If you get back..._

"Got It. I'm off!"

On board the container ship that housed EVA-05, the green tarp slid off the top and the EVA's true shape could be seen by all. Strapped onto a large rocket sled along the top side of the ship, the EVA's rocket boosters were strapped to four metal limbs that were fixed to its torso. It looked compacted like an insect inside a chrysalis, waiting to be released. Smoke and fire started to come out of the engines.

On the observation deck on _Liberator_, Kensuke was still watching the battle as Toji and Hikari now joined him. Hikari was again under Toji's shoulder, helping him move around. Kensuke took a quick glance at them both and noticed this was the first time he had ever seen Hikari with her hair long and not tied in braids.

"What the hell are you doing!" Toji yelled to Kensuke over the loud noises of the flight deck above.

Kensuke pointed to the container ship close by with one hand as he filmed with the other gripping his video camera. "Look, she's about to go!"

His two classmates stopped at the railing and looked on as EVA-05's rocket engines fully lit up. The green Evangelion streaked across the launch rails and shot rapidly into the sky with a trail of white smoke following.

"WOO-HOO! GO MARY GO!" Kensuke jumped up and down in excitement, nearly forgetting to film the launch. He moved his camera to follow the airborne EVA as it proceeded towards Tokyo-3. Hikari and Toji just watched in amazement as she blasted off.

* * *

Flying just around the edge of the battlefield, Patrick sat in his own entry plug and mentally went over his own game plan. As he had done many times during the flight, in his head he checked off all of the mission details as well as each weapon at his disposal. As the only one of the two Alliance EVAs with an S2 engine, it would be his responsibility not only to lead the charge on the EVA series, but also to cover EVA-05's escape when her batteries were close to zero.

On the communicator he heard Admiral Vinson's voice. "ZEUS to GABRIEL, launch now! Targets are inside the GeoFront. Engage at will!"

"Copy, ZEUS." Patrick gripped his actuators and waited for his transport to fly him to the target. Another voice came on after Vinson's: it was the pilot of the C-5. "Kid, we're going to drop you just over the target. The Japs blew a hole right through the top so you'll land at the bottom. Good luck!"

"Thanks," Patrick said and then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, still gripping his handles tightly. _There's nothing left but this moment. Nothing else matters..._

The massive C-5 lowered to 1,000 meters in a shallow dive and then quickly climbed upwards. At the same time a series of parachutes came out the back attached to the EVA and it was pulled out of the transport by gravity and air resistance. The C-5 jerked sharply upwards as the weight of the beast was released from its rear. As the parachutes were then ejected EVA-04 began its rapid descent into the shattered opening of the GeoFront.

Vinson's Thunderbolt continued to fly at the outside edge of the GeoFront as he observed the battle between EVA-02 and the Mass Production series. "Where the hell are they?" he called out as he tried to push his own units on to the field.

"Both units are en route, ETA two minutes," said his assistant.

_At that rate it'll be too late_, he thought. Vinson watched the red Evangelion as it grabbed a sword from one of the white beasts it had defeated earlier and now bashed it into another one standing in front of it, slicing its head off. In the last minute he had seen Unit 02 destroy three of the white EVAs in a flurry of aerobatic prowess, jumping from one to another as each one was swiftly destroyed in turn. Not a stranger to fighting against long odds, he couldn't help but admire the pilot. _Damn she can fight!_

_

* * *

_

At the end of the tunnel Misato slid her car into a parking stall and dragged Shinji out by the hand into the passageway. Looking both ways before seeing an open space, she pushed him forward first towards the elevator shaft, then ran to follow him. As they both ran across a team of JSSDF soldiers spotted both of them and opened fire.

Both of them ran as quickly as they could to the shaft and Misato thought they had made it. Just as she reached the entryway however she could feel something burning hit her straight into her lower back. She yelped with pain as she quickly turned and closed the armored door behind them both.

Reporting that they had spotted the Third Child again, the three soldiers were about to pursue them down the way to the shaft when they received orders to pull back to the tunnel. Engineers would be coming to demolish the entire section.

Misato tried to catch her breath in the hallway as she slumped down. She could feel that the pain in her body wasn't stopping and how her body was shaking and getting colder. Her breathing was heavier as the full effects of the wound were being felt. She knew what it was.

"That...should hold them off...for a while," she told Shinji with labored breathing. Shinji looked at her in shock as he saw the bleeding on her uniform. Misato tried to cover it up with her hand. "It's okay," she lied to him. "It's not as serious...as it looks." She pushed herself up off the floor and staggered to the elevators, opening the gate of the one leading to Cage 7.

With her remaining strength Misato pushed Shinji against the elevator gate. Shinji wouldn't look at her but just hung his head down. She swallowed hard as she tried to push back blood and bile in her mouth.

"Shinji," she told him, "from here on out you're on your own. You have to make the decisions by yourself...without anyone's help."

The boy struggled to speak. "I...I can't do it," he stammered. "I just can't!" Then Shinji said weakly "I'm so tired..."

Misato responded back in an angry tone. "I'm not going to feel sorry for you. If you don't want to go on then just die without doing anything at all! You've got to go, otherwise it's all been for nothing!"

Shinji started to cry and Misato shook him to stop. "Crying won't help you now!" She stopped shaking him and let him go on for a little bit. _I'm running out of time. God help me, what do I do?_

Misato softened her grip on Shinji and spoke to him in a more gentler voice. "Shinji, I know it's been so hard on you, for so long. I know it's painful seeing everyone suffer. I know that you hate yourself and want to make yourself suffer. I know the loneliness you feel. Everything you feel I feel it myself."

As Shinji tried to calm himself she continued. "You're not the only one who feels this way. Don't ever think like no one knows what you go through. But as bad as everything seems you've got to do this one more time. Just one more time."

Misato could feel her vision start to get blurry and felt chills all over her body. She struggled to find the words she needed. Steeling up he courage she made her last stand.

"Listen, Shinji. Pilot EVA once more and find yourself. Why did you come here? Why are you still here? Find your own answers. And then..." she said to him as she pulled the black cross from around her neck, "after you find them...come back to me."

She gently pressed the necklace and cross into his hand. "It's a promise," she said softly. "Now, go." Misato then took her hands and gently held them against Shinji's cheeks. Then she kissed him deeply, finally letting her long-held passions escape from her. Unable to move the boy's eyes flicked open in surprise.

Misato spoke to him not as a boy, but as man. "That's a grownup kiss," she said almost at a whisper. "We'll do the rest when you get back." Before Shinji could respond Misato took the rest of her remaining energy and shoved him into the elevator, and then pushed the button to close the door. The last thing Shinji saw of Misato was her smiling face.


	19. Chapter 18

Gendo Ikari and Rei walked through the darkened bowels of Terminal Dogma to a massive steel door labeled as "LCL PLANT." It was also known to many at NERV as "Heaven's Gate," where the First Angel was supposedly kept.

Opening the doors the two of them silently walked through and then down a steel dock that was placed on top of a huge underground sea of LCL. The source of the LCL was above them, a gigantic white humanoid figure a hundred meters tall. The white giant was nailed by its palms to a gigantic crucifix, and on its legs were bulbs that consisted of many pairs of what looked like tiny human legs protruding outwards. Its face was covered by a mask decorated with seven eyes, the ancient symbol of Jehovah. Out of the creature's lower abdomen was a constant flowing of orange-red liquid.

The Angel below was perhaps the deepest of all secrets of Evangelion. Known as Lillith, the Second Angel, it was the source of the LCL used in all EVA operations and maintenance. It was also the being from which EVA-01 had been originated, being created in secret by SEELE's followers in Japan. Lillith was the key to Instrumentality: if Lillith was unified with Adam and then combined with the Lance of Longinus, an ancient artifact that was found along with the two Angels, the resulting reaction would break down the physical barriers of all human beings and pull them together as one. Whoever employed the Lance and controlled the reaction of Adam and Lillith would become a god in their own right.

The Lance was now gone, used by Rei in Unit 00 to destroy the 15th Angel. Worse for SEELE, they had been tricked by Ikari into allowing him to have the First Angel for safekeeping. As a result he now had the two most critical components of Instrumentality, and over the last few years he and old Professor Futsuyuki had been working on the way to control them to their own ends.

It was Ikari's daring betrayal that had brought about the Armageddon above them now, but to accomplish what he needed SEELE was not the only one he had betrayed.

As they neared the end of the platform they saw a lone figure in a white lab coat who sat on the edge, looking at the white figure. The two of them stopped and the woman in the coat stood up from the dock and faced them.

"I've been waiting for you," Ritsuko said calmly to Gendo. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her handgun, aiming it at the two of them. Gendo positioned himself in front of Rei.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I secretly altered the MAGI's programming. Consider it a daughter's final request." Ritsuko reached into her left pocket and grabbed the PDA inside, and then pressed the button that would activate her final program. "Mother," she called out, "Please die with me!" Ritsuko closed her eyes and waited for the end.

After a few seconds she opened her eyes and noticed that nothing had happened. "It didn't activate! Why?" Alarmed, she pulled the PDA from out of her pocket and read the display. It said "CASPER-3: REJECTED." One of the MAGI systems had rejected her command for self-destruction.

Ritsuko gasped. "Betrayed by Casper! Mother, how could you? Choosing your man over your own daughter!"

She looked up and saw that while she was distracted Gendo had pulled out his own pistol and was now aiming it at her. "Ritsuko Akagi," Gendo said to her with a slight smile, "I truly...loved you."

For a moment Ritsuko was surprised by that. But then, she thought, this was all part of the act, too. "Liar." she said softly. Gendo fired a single shot that hit her on the forehead, and she plunged backwards into the LCL lake.

* * *

As Aoba and Hyuga worked at fighting off an increasing number of JSSDF troops entering Central Dogma, Maya kept monitoring the battle outside via her laptop.

"What's happening?" Hyuga asked her as he hid behind a chair and fired another burst at the invaders.

"Less than a minute before EVA-02 reaches its operational limit," she shouted back.

* * *

Shinji sat at the side of the EVA cage. The violet-colored EVA-01 was standing there in front of him, partially encased in red-colored Bakelite. He wanted to go over to her but at this point he was unable to get his body to move forward. Frozen by fear, Shinji could only sit there and listen to the cage's audio speakers.

"Geez! They just keep coming!" he heard Asuka shout as she fought the white beasts. "Where is that stupid Shinji, anyway?"

On the way down the elevator he had felt his lips and found blood on them. He knew from this and the way that Misato had kissed him that she was now gone. Separated from his protector and now on his own, Shinji found himself unable to go on.

The overhead speakers reflected the sounds of the battle outside between EVA-02 and the Mass Production EVAs. He could hear Asuka's battle cries and the noise of violent shaking that indicated the intensity of the conflict as one by one she took down the monsters.

"I can't lose!" she shouted as she got close to the end. "Not with Mama watching me!"

"Mama?" Shinji asked aloud. He looked at his own EVA. "Mother?" _She knows!_

With less than thirty seconds left on her battery power, Asuka threw a white EVA into a tall building in the open spaces of the GeoFront, destroying the building as she dragged the EVA through it. This was the eighth out of nine targets, the other Evangelions's dismembered bodies littering the ground around them.

"These are the last ones!" she shouted, as she saw another EVA moving towards her three hundred meters away, EVA-02 swung the unit she held onto into the air and straight into the one oncoming. As one EVA slammed into the other, Asuka charged at them both, punching both of them straight through the abdomen. EVA-02 punched with such force that it punctured both EVAs through the stomach. She cried out as she continued to push into both units at once, crushing their organs in a mess of red fluid. With fifteen seconds to go both of the faceless monsters went limp as their bodies became a bloody mess.

Behind her Asuka sensed something and moved her fist outward. Swinging to her right, she saw that one of the EVAs she had previously killed was now standing not far away, and it had flung a sword right at her.

Without a word she outstretched her hand and extended her AT Field outwards, stopping the sword in mid-flight. Instead of deflecting off the field the sword stopped and then morphed itself, becoming elongated and helix-like in shape. Asuka saw the transformed weapon and immediately recognized it.

"The Lance of Longinus?" she said in surprise. The only weapon that could cleanly penetrate an AT Field, the Lance could defeat an EVA with one strike. Now one of them was moving fast straight at Unit 02's head.

Unit 02's battery went down to zero and the EVA's AT Field started to fail as the Lance tore through it, Unable to react in time Asuka screamed as the lance rapidly came right at her.

* * *

The five Piranhas ran down the tunnel at sixty miles per hour, following Musashi's directions. Running at full speed they came under fire twice from unknown sources and returned fire with their own cannons to unknown effect. As the armored vehicles blazed forward, Col. Burke looked out the scope at the outside of the tunnel.

The tunnel had a Plexiglas enclosure on its top that showed a dimly lit cavern of some sort, Lining the cavern were dozens of gigantic skeletons forty meters high, the failed predecessors of the Evangelions themselves.

Burke turned from the scope, stunned by what he saw. Turning to Musashi he asked "What the hell is this place?" The Japanese agent replied simply, "Here is the beginning and end of everything."

The armored column approached the end of the tunnel with the heavy-gun car in the lead. The tunnel was only ten meters wide so they moved single-file, which made it critical for them to clear the tunnel entrance. As they approached, the lead vehicle came under fire again from automatic weapons and also from rockets and flame units: they had encountered JSSDF engineers at the tunnel's end.

The heavy-gun Piranha fired several high explosive rounds at the engineers, killing some and forcing others to take cover. It then sped out the end of the tunnel and rushed to the frame of the armored door leading to the next compartment, jamming its armored fuselage inside the doorway frame to ensure the door wouldn't close. The rest of the Piranhas spread out at the parking area at the end.

The vehicles now came under intensive fire from all sides, as more JSSDF troops were called in to deal with the new threat. The Piranhas returned fire with their cannons and also fired smoke grenades to cover the emerging infantry. Within seconds the entire passageway became filled with white smoke. Most of the JSSDF troops had night-vision sights and goggles and were able to see through it, and firing through the smoke their gunfire reached some of the Alliance soldiers as they rushed out of their vehicles and sought cover.

For over a minute it was a fiery duel between elite forces, with skilled soldiers on both sides looking for advantages against the enemy while trying to keep from being killed themselves. The Alliance had their armored vehicles however, and their firepower made the difference as the JSSDF were forced back into the next compartment. Even that didn't protect them, as those that made it in became targets of the heavy-gun unit firing canister rounds like scattered a giant shotgun all over the compartment. More JSSDF dropped to the ground dead or wounded.

Burke and Musashi were still among the living as the other Alliance soldiers pushed back the black-clad enemy. As gunfire raged in the next compartment Musashi motioned to Burke that below the compartment were the EVA cages, one of their two objectives. As they moved carefully under the cover of other soldiers Musashi looked at the small parking lot at the end of the tunnel and noticed a familiar blue sports car parked there. He quickened his pace and ran through the opening and towards the passageway.

Burke saw where Musashi was going and at first tried to hold him off. Realizing the opportunity, the colonel then directed the squad next to him to increase fire on the Japanese to enable Musashi cover as he ran for the elevators.

Musashi ran at full speed along the passageway and up against the armored door. He quickly pulled out a PDA and a skeleton key card and worked the lock. In the background he could hear the gunfire abate as the Alliance squad got the advantage on the enemy. His fingers moved swiftly as he activated the doors override control and opened it. The open doorway revealed a woman collapsed on the floor dressed in red leather and black, bleeding profusely.

He rushed to the figure and knelt down to look at her face. The woman was still barely conscious. She looked up at him and, knowing who he was, said weakly "Kaji...did I do the right thing?"

The agent caressed her hair and replied to her "Yes, yes you did!" With that she smiled faintly, closed her eyes and lay her head down on the steel floor.

Musashi shook her hard, "Katsuragi! Katsuragi!" He turned around and yelled. "I need a medic now!" Within a moment both an Alliance medic and colonel Burke were running through the doorway. The medic immediately turned her over and saw the wound in her back that was roiled in blood.

"You know her?" the colonel asked Musashi. He gently shook her and then moved his hand through her black hair. "Yes. No doubt she was here to protect the pilots." Musashi turned to the medic as the other man frantically injected something in her arm and started working on her wound. "Can you save her?" he pleaded.

"Don't know sir, she's bleeding out," the medic replied. "I'll do what I can."

"Musashi" Burke asked, "where's the pilot?" The agent pulled himself away for a moment and saw the elevator controls. The elevator car was downward at the EVA cage.

"He's probably in the EVA already. If he's down there with her then he's safer than if we have him."

Burke considered his situation for a moment. His orders were to secure and evacuate the pilots but also to get to Terminal Dogma, where Musashi has said NERV kept their own Angels. If the area with the Angels could be secured a Third Impact could be averted, presuming nothing else went wrong elsewhere. The colonel thought about the pilot and trying to recover him but they had taken severe losses out of the tunnel and didn't have the manpower to do both missions. If the boy was safe, then his priority was to get downstairs.

Burke jogged back out of the entry way and called for his RTO. Jeff came forward with a hand-held device covered in camouflage paint,

"Did you get the signal from here?" he asked Jeff. The RTO nodded and showed him a screen of a flashing dot superimposed on a digital map.

The colonel ran back into the elevator hall and moved next to Musashi, He told him in a low voice "Alpha's marked the elevator, we can get there if we move now." Musashi didn't reply but just looked on as the medic worked on the woman. He could see that her face was now pale white as her body began to shut down completely,

"Hey, Mr K?" Burke told him softly, "If were going to pull this off we've got to move now, and we need you for this." Burke waited a few seconds as Musashi stood there breathing deeply and looking at the dying beauty below him. The colonel was afraid he'd have to force the agent but Musashi shook his head, took a deep breath and faced him. "Then let's go."


	20. Chapter 19

Unable to react in time, Asuka screamed as the spear flew towards the head of her Evangelion. She blinked and suddenly saw another of the white beasts had now jumped directly in front of her, its back turned to her. There was a flash and the spear veered off to her right and out of her sight.

Shaking her head to get re-oriented, she looked at her battery clock and saw that it now said "0:00." At the same time the lights dimmed inside the entry plug as a whining sound was heard: Her EVA had run out of battery power at the worst possible time.

The white EVA in front of her turned on her opponent, the Mass Production that had thrown the spear. The EVA in front pointed a large, multi-barrel cannon and fired several long bursts at the toothy beast in the distance. The Mass Production unit tried to evade the gunfire but after a series of shots the beast was cut down in a bloody mess.

Asuka saw the unit in front of her and noticed that it didn't look like the others. It wasn't hunched down like an animal but stood more upright. The new EVA had no wings, but rather a "Y" shaped metal frame on its back. The head was more like her own with a visible set of eyes, and its white color was silvery and metallic in appearance.

"Asuka," a voice came over the commo link, panting as he spoke. "Are..are you alright?" The voice was that of another teenager, with an American accent.

"Who the hell are you?" she shot back, and then she gasped as she realized exactly who was speaking to her.

* * *

Maya's laptop flashed new information on her screen as she monitored the battle between Unit 02 and the Mass Production units. She saw the incoming data and immediately worked to confirm, then also gasped in disbelief.

"EVA-04!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "UNIT 04 HAS APPEARED IN THE GEOFRONT!"

"Impossible!" Aoba said to her, sitting on the floor reloading his magazine.

Hyuga was firing over the side again at the intruders. "Oh, man! Now it's _really_ getting crazy!"

The Vice Commander slid over to where Maya was seated and looked at the display, raising his eyebrows high as he saw what she did. She looked at him and asked "How? Nothing could survive a Sea of Dirac like that."

"I see EVA is full of surprises," he said in return.

"There's something else too," she said. "It appears to be another unit EVA unit but it's unidentified."

Futsuyuki looked at the video display. "Green...It's not the British one, is it? But we took that one apart for spares. How..."

* * *

"The spy kid!" Asuka called out. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Trying to save your sorry ass!" Patrick retorted.

To his left he saw a blaze of smoke and rocket flares coming down from the top opening of the GeoFront. As the smoke cleared, it revealed a green-painted bio-mechanical monstrosity. Its head and torso resembled an Evangelion but its natural limbs were missing. In their place were a pair of mechanical arms with weapons mounted on them, and four extended metal legs with rocket motors attached at the ends that looked like they belonged to an insect.

Patrick switched his communications link to the Alliance channel. "Mary, is that you?"

"Yes, I'm afraid," her voice came on his speaker. "Sorry it's such a mess!"

_MANTIS, indeed_. "As long as it all works, you look fine to me." He took a deep breath and switched channels again. "NERV command, this is Unit 04. Do you require help?"

An older voice came on the speaker. "Whom am I speaking to?" It was the Vice Commander.

"This is Patrick Forrestal, sir. I've brought a few new friends along with me this time."

"Your timing couldn't be better!" the old man replied.

In the EVA cage Shinji stood up as he heard the new voice on the speaker. "F-Forrestal-kun?" he said out loud. "But, how?"

Patrick heard Maya's voice in the background of the audio feed. "Unit 02's internal batteries have run out!" He looked over to the stationary red EVA and noticed the power cable wasn't attached.

"Asuka, can you move at all?"

Asuka struggled with the actuators. Over the speaker he could hear Asuka say "Mama! Mama! Come on!" After a few seconds of futile effort she said wearily "it's no use! We've run dry!"

"Vice Commander!" Maya shouted in the background. "The Mass Production EVAs...they're regenerating!"

Patrick looked around. All around him Patrick saw the white EVA start to slowly pick themselves up off the ground. As they moved their wounds began to disappear, healing rapidly. Some were growing limbs back. He even saw one unit grow its head back.

"Pats!" Mary called out. "We've got trouble!"

"Oh, shit," he said under his breath.

"What the hell?" Asuka said. "I just killed these guys!"

Maya came on the speaker. "The S2 engine is enabling the Mass Production Series to regenerate. They're building up power..."

Patrick looked around and tried to determine his next move. There were nine of the Harpy-like beasts in all against him, Mary, and Asuka, but Asuka was unable to move.

"NERV command, I need a power cable for Unit 02!" Patrick called out.

Hyuga now came on the speaker. "Nearest cable is at grid point 448989."  
"Where is that?"

"It's right over by the pyramid!" shouted Asuka testily. "Don't you know anything!"

"Give me a break!" Patrick defended. "I was only here for a week!"

"Northward about five thousand meters from your current position," Hyuga corrected. Patrick saw the black pyramid in the distance and tried to judge how long it would take him to get the cable. "Mary!"

Mary was already shooting at one of the Mass Production units that was closest to her. "Here!"

"I need to plug Asuka back in again. Can you hold these guys off until I can get back?"

"Whatever you're going to do, do it fast!" she replied back.

"Copy that." he switched back to the NERV channel. "Asuka hold on. I'll plug you in as soon as I get the cable. Where is Shinji, anyway?"

"Hell if I know," the redhead angrily replied. "He's probably sitting somewhere crying in his milk!"

Patrick ran EVA-04 as fast as he could towards the pyramid, as Mary began to attack the Mass Production series. She engaged each one in turn, trying first to get the ones closest to EVA-02. In combat she found she could use EVA-05's rockets to good effect, enabling her to hop over one of the EVAs, and then ram it with the power lance.

"Got you!" she shouted as she attacked with the lance. As she plunged the lance into the EVAs midsection, the lance shaft started to rapidly rotate, grinding the lance into the flesh of the EVA. Power taken from her EVA then added to the attack and bolts of electricity shot into the white beast. Under enormous pressure the EVAs head popped open and it collapsed.

Mary didn't have time to celebrate as another of the beasts approached her from the rear. She spun around Unit 05 and then fired the cannon at point blank range. It went down in a mess of blood.

Asuka had no choice to stand and watch as two other pilots she either didn't know or didn't' trust attempted to defend her. She kept shaking her actuators to get the EVA to move even though she knew it was useless.

_Dammit, this is humiliating! I hate being a sitting duck like this! Shinji if you don't come out this time I will never forgive you for as long as you live!_

Asuka saw one white EVA running straight towards her. She kept shaking the controllers hoping she could get something out of the EVA. As the Harpy was about to throw its lance at Asuka, she saw the green Unit 05 fly over and hit the EVA from the side. When the white unit struggled to get up off the ground, Mary drilled him with the lance and he exploded in a mess of bone and tissue.

Mary spun around and positioned herself between Unit 02 and the rest of the Harpies. She noticed that there were more of them now and they were moving closer to the two of them. Looking in the distance she could see that Unit 04 had just reached the power station next to the Pyramid.

"I've made it to the power cable," Patrick called out. "Lusty! How are we doing?"  
"Not good!" Mary called back. "They're starting to gang up on us here!"

"I'm coming. Just hold them off!"

"Do hurry along, Pats!" she replied as she parried with another oncoming EVA. "They're getting very uncivilized!"

Mary looked at her power clock and saw that she was now under two minutes of battery life. Seeing at least six of the white EVAs now in front of her, she knew there wasn't much more she could contribute to the fight. She also knew that if she held back now one of the beasts might get to Unit 02 before she could fight it off. Mary took a deep breath and made one critical decision.

_Not the way I wanted to go out but it gives them the chance they need_, she thought. She then flared her rocket engines and tilted her lance towards the Harpy closest to her. "COME ON AND GET ME, YOU BASTARDS!" She rammed her EVA straight into the enemy and impaled it on her lance. She then swung it around, hitting two other white beasts to her left. Mary spun around Unit 05, trying to get their attention and in response several other of the Mass Production units began to chase her and run at her from all sides.

Seeing Mary was in trouble, Patrick ran Unit 04 at full speed towards the melee, still holding onto the power cable. "Lusty! I'm coming to help you!"

"Don't!" she shouted back. "Get her plugged in or it's all for naught!" Patrick thought to go to her anyway but knew the truth of it, and sprinted towards Unit 02 as quickly as he could.

Now closely surrounded by six of the beasts, and seeing her clock run down below one minute, Mary performed her _coup de grace_. As the Harpies plunged on top of Unit 05 with their spears, she rammed the power lance again into one in front. She was so close to it that the EVA's white razor teeth filled her helmet's view screen.

"Oh, grandma! What big teeth you have, eh?" she said with determination. "Let's fix that, then, shall we?" Mary then pulled a large handle underneath her control throne and quickly pushed herself to the back of her seat. For a second she saw the screen on her helmet visor read SELF DESTRUCT ENGAGED, then felt the entry plug violently lurch backwards.

Her last thoughts were directed to the EVA. _Sorry, old girl, but we gave it our best shot, didn't we?_

As the Harpies began to tear into Unit 05, ripping off its limbs and biting its head and abdomen, something blasted out of the unit's back. A second later the entire unit itself exploded in a massive explosion that encompassed the six Harpies that surrounded it.

Patrick didn't have time to look. He focused his concentration on getting to Asuka and plugging the power cable into Unit 02's back. It wasn't until he had finished shoving it in that he saw the remnants of the explosion. _Mary...Oh, no..._

* * *

On board the _Liberator_, Mary's controller saw her unit go dead on the display. "MANTIS! MANTIS! Come in MANTIS!" Wellington called into her headset. "Mary, come in please!" There was no response on the audio.

Moira turned to Dr. Viraat at the station next to her. "Did she eject?"

The Indian scientist checked his own terminal. "Possibly. Unit telemetry is incomplete so I can't tell for certain, but if the entry plug was able to eject we should be able to see its locator beacon momentarily."

Wellington didn't wait for the signal. "Control to SAR, ready a rescue team for MANTIS. I'm on deck in one minute." She then threw down her headset and raced to the back door of _Liberator's_ tactical action center. Viraat watched her run out of the room and then turned his attention back to his station as he tried to determine what was left of EVA-05. "Years of work and it's all gone to hell in four minutes," he sighed. "Don't know how I'll be able to scrape her back together after this..."

* * *

Patrick saw the remains of Mary's sacrifice in front of them, as the gigantic cross-shaped blast momentarily filled up the GeoFront's interior. He just stood there and watched as the blast dissipated.

As power was restored to Unit 02, Asuka looked up as the internal lighting in the plug changed from red to white, and the battery clock reset to the "Constant feed" setting. "Ah, finally!" she said and let out a deep breath. Looking in front she saw the charred remains of EVA-05 and several white bodies surrounding it. Some of the white bodies were starting to move again.

"What?" she said incredulously. Two of the Harpies had now gotten up again, as their limbs were growing back their original shape. Others were already moving towards them.

"Geez! What the hell does it take to kill these things?" she asked. Patrick saw the white beasts start to get up again and groaned in despair. "Oh, no…"

"Fine," Asuka said. "We do this the hard way. Control," she called out to NERV command, "I need a weapon!"

"Weapons storage point 500 meters to your right," Maya replied back. Asuka promptly ran EVA-02 to the spot and stomped on a large bunker-like object on the ground. Out of an underground silo a long spear-like weapon shot out. Nearly thirty meters long, it was pointed on one end, and had a seven-meter long blade on the other, resembling a halberd. Asuka grabbed the weapon and spun it around in EVA-02's hands to gauge the weight.

Patrick sized up the opposition and saw several white EVAs start to move towards him and the red Unit 02. "Mary," he whispered, "I swear you're not going down for nothing!" He found the Harpy nearest to him and pointed his rotary cannon at it, firing a long burst and knocking it down. Another white EVA ran towards him as he fired and it fired another salvo at it as well, taking several seconds until enough rounds entered its body to force it down. He pointed the cannon at a third and found it only fired for a moment and then stopped. Panicked, he pulled the trigger repeatedly until he noticed on the screen in front the words "AMMO OUT."

As the EVA ran towards him with spear in hand, Patrick jettisoned the rotary cannon and then called out "Missiles!" From the Y-Frame attached to EVA-04's back several dozen missiles launched out from behind him and shot towards the white EVA in front, exploding in a cloud of smoke and fire as Patrick ran to the side. He turned to look to his left and saw the Harpy was still there and turning towards him.

"CAWS!" Patrick called out and a weapon popped out of the Y-Frame. The CAWS, or Combat Assault Weapon System, resembled a giant shotgun. Catching it with Unit 04's right hand, he quickly pumped the action and ran towards the oncoming Harpy.

As he met the Harpy head on, the white beast raised its spear to strike at him. Patrick used the stock of the CAWS to swiftly bash at its head and force it to drop the spear. He then swung the weapon forward and shoved the barrel through the mouth of the EVA. "Eat this, Asshole!" he said as he pulled the trigger and a hundred red blasts came out of the Harpy's skull in all directions. Patrick saw the beast collapse downwards, but noticed that now two others were moving towards him.

Another two Harpies ran at Unit 02 as Asuka made a fighting stance. Both brought up their spears and Asuka swung up the halberd and parried with one of the spears while kicking the other EVA in the groin to knock it down. She then swung up her halberd to its blade end and in one motion sliced off the head of the beast in front of her.

On the other side of the field Patrick charged at the two EVAs blasting away with his CAWS. One went down, but the other survived two blasts and kept charging, unfurling its wings and bounding upwards as EVA 04 ran at it.

"We need help with this!" Patrick shouted as he struggled with the white EVA above him. "Call Shinji out here! He'll listen to you!"

EVA-02 speared a Harpy and then pivoted to find two others now flying on their way towards her. Asuka sighed to herself and then called out on the audio. "Baka Shinji! Don't make me fight all of these freaks by myself, you idiot! Get the hell out here or I am going to personally rip you from head to tail when I see you tonight!" As the two pilots fought their respective opponents there was silence on the audio.

"Nice going, Freud!" Patrick said to Asuka cynically. "Now he's more scared of you than anything else!"

"It's not my fault he's such a wuss!" she replied under her breath.

"Shinji!" Patrick called out, "Rei…your mother…They gave themselves up for you! Don't let it end like this!" While he said that another two Harpies came at him along with the one he was already fighting. Overloaded by threats and unable to get control, Patrick yelled out a battle cry as he kept blasting away point blank with the CAWS. He was able to gun one down but the other two kept at him. Patrick pointed the CAWS at one of them and saw the display flash in front of him "LAST ROUND." With that he fired one shot at the Harpy's face and then flung the CAWS aside.

The third white unit grabbed Unit 04 with his hands and started to bite into her shoulder. Patrick screamed in agony as the nerve relay reflected the pain his own Evangelion itself felt in the attack. Raging with fury, he grabbed the hand flamer strapped to Unit 04's left forearm and shot it in the EVA's face. The White EVA screamed in terror.

"Oh! You don't _like_ that, do you!" he shouted at the beast and then kept up his attacks with the hand flamer. The Harpy's skin started to turn black as it caught on fire.

Patrick saw two other Harpies flying towards him and shot the flamer upwards in a wide arc around both of them. Both screamed and backed off a considerable distance from his attack. "Asuka! Asuka! They don't like fire!" he shouted out as he finally pressed his advantage.

"Got it!" she replied, dodging another spear as she hopped from a ridge to a block of wrecked buildings while trying to avoid being attacked. "Control, I need flame rockets!"

In Central Dogma, Maya frantically worked on her laptop to try to get Asuka the weapon she needed. She pounded the floor in frustration as the computer reported an error. Hyuga quickly ducked down from the edge of the deck and looked at her screen.

"I can't get them to you," Maya reported back. "The weapons conveyor is inoperable from battle damage."

"Can you get to the Southeast weapons station?" Hyuga asked.

On the speaker they heard Asuka's voice. "You're kidding, right? That's all the way on the far end of the GeoFront!"

"If you need flame weapons, there's no other way!" Hyuga replied. "The whole weapons delivery system is malfunctioning, we can't send them to you."

"What about Unit 01?"

"We can't get it to the cage either, I'm afraid," the Vice Commander said. "The Bakelite release blocked everything off."

_Damn,_ Futsuyuki thought. _We finally have an advantage and we can't use it._

* * *

While his pilot tried to keep a safe distance between the battling giants and themselves, Vinson watched from the cockpit of the Thunderbolt as Units 02 and 04 continued to battle the Mass Production series. Listening in on EVA-04's audio channel, he was also able to monitor the action.

_Fire…These things don't like flame. What could we do to turn the tables here?_ Vinson called out to his assistant. "Put me through to NEPTUNE." A moment later Admiral Gato came on the line.

"Yes, ZEUS."

"Do you guys have any thermobaric weapons?"

"Only a few," the naval commander replied. "I can have bombs mounted up on a couple of Hornets and get them out to you. ETA 20 minutes."

"Not fast enough, I need it right now."

"Wait one," the voice went off line and then came back after a few seconds. "One of the subs has TLAMs with FAE warheads, but only two."

"It'll have to do. Fire at these coordinates…" ZEUS put in the target data and sent it to the naval forces.

"ZEUS, this is right on top of you!"

"Doesn't matter at this point. Get those things out here now or we're all dead!"

"Aye, Aye, sir. ETA 5 minutes to impact."

50 kilometers off the Japanese coast an attack submarine received orders from NEPTUNE to fire two of its cruise missiles at the target coordinates provided. At risk of being detected itself, the submarine blew its ballast tanks to quickly reach launch depth. Once it reached just below the surface of the ocean the submarine opened two launch tubes in its forward superstructure and first one, then another missile blasted from the open tubes and towards the surface.


	21. Chapter 20

Standing on the gantry in the EVA cage Shinji had, of course, heard everything that Asuka and Patrick said earlier.

_So Patrick came back…He must think that Ayanami's dead, otherwise he wouldn't have said that. But yet he's still fighting…_

_Asuka knows the truth about the EVA now, and yet she's still going on…_

_Kaji died…_

_Misato died…_

_And all of those others at NERV…_

_And there's even some other pilot out there I don't know, and she was fighting too._

_And here I am just hiding like the coward that I am._

_I should go out there. I should fight like everyone else, but I just can't do this again. _

He stared at Unit 01's hands, hands that just a day ago held a human life inside them, and crushed it. Shinji looked at his own hands in disgust.

_I killed Kaworu._

_They said he was an Angel, but it didn't matter. He was just a boy, just like me, and yet he even let me do it to him, didn't even put up a fight. Why would he do that?_

_Why is everyone so focused on me? What are they expecting from me? There's no way I can be what people expect, I'm just junk inside._

Sounds of the battle filled the cage as the speakers broadcast the death match between the EVAs. He could hear the desperate cries of the pilots as they struggled against the Mass Production series.

_I can't take this anymore…I'm not even worth saving!_

_I'm so tired of it all. I hate my father for doing this. I hate my father for bringing me here. I hate my father for everything!_

Tears went down his eyes as he thought about Rei. _Ayanami…I miss you so much! I just wish I could talk to you again. At least there's something of you left. If anyone should survive at all, it should be you._

_I'll go…but for your sake, if not for mine. _

Shinji took the cross necklace that Misato had given him and placed it around his neck. He then stepped closer to the EVA and then shouted as loud as he could. "MOTHER!"

As commanded, the purple Evangelion's left arm broke through the Bakelite that had encased it and stretch out to where Shinji was standing. Feeling numb, Shinji stepped onto the outstretched hand and started to climb his way to the entry plug.

* * *

"Vice Commander!" The old professor turned around and saw Maya looking at him. "Unit 01 is active!"

"Launch it now!" he ordered.

Maya rapidly keyed several commands to no avail. "Unable to launch. Bakelite has damaged the launch tubes and I can't activate the alternate launch system from here."

"Try manual launch from the controller station!"

Hyuga tried to crawl back upwards to his controller station but found himself forced back down by a hail of gunfire. He looked at the others in a desperate gaze. "I can't get up there!"

Futsuyuki contemplated for a moment. He then picked up Hyuga's sub-machine gun from the floor and looked at it carefully. "Wait for our signal," he told the lieutenant. "We'll give you cover."

"Sir, you shouldn't!" Aoba protested.

"It's about the most useful I can be right about now," he replied. Hyuga and Maya looked at the others, as Aoba finally nodded and then picked up a larger automatic rifle from the floor, sliding its action back to be sure it was properly loaded.

"Stand by," Futsuyuki said calmly. Hyuga slid over to the edge of the controller station, ready to spring upwards.

The Vice Commander looked at his weapon again, carefully feeling the handles and grip. "You know, I've never actually fired one of these things until now," he said to Aoba.

The young officer looked at him sadly, "Sir..."

Futsuyuki smiled back at him. "Hell of a time to learn, huh?" He took a deep breath. "On my count. One...two...three!" On three the vice commander and Aoba stood up and fired their weapons at the group of black-clad soldiers below them. "Go!" the old man shouted and Hyuga jumped up and pressed a series of buttons on his controller station. Once finished he immediately slid back down, as did Aoba. Futsuyuki dropped his gun and fell backwards, as red stains colored the front of his gray tunic.

"Vice Commander!" On seeing the Vice Commander Aoba dropped his weapon and reached over to him. He had been hit several times in the chest, as blood and fluid oozed out of the wounds. Maya nervously grabbed a first aid kit and tried to pull open a bandage but the dying Futsuyuki gently laid a hand on hers before she could place the bandage on him. "It's okay," he told her softly. "It's time for me to get off this train."

Futsuyuki looked up as if someone was standing above him. "The First? What are you doing here? Oh," he said with a smile, "It's you, Yui-kun." He then closed his eyes and breathed his last.

As the sounds of gunfire and explosions escalated, Maya and Aoba tried to shake the old professor awake. "Doctor, Doctor!" Aoba shouted. After a moment it was clear he had passed on. Enraged, Aoba quickly grabbed his automatic rifle and leaped to the edge of the deck, crying out as he proceeded to fire on the JSSDF below in wild abandon.

Maya, already panicked beyond her emotional limits, pulled a silver-coated first aid blanket over the vice-commander's face as her hands shook. As she finished, she started to cry uncontrollably and screamed into the distance "WHERE IS AKAGI-SEMPAI?"

* * *

Aided by Musashi, Burke's team took several side passageways, trying to avoid areas that were either closed off by armored doors or filled with bakelite. On two occasions they had run into small teams of JSSDF special forces and dispatched them with fury. In between they saw the bodies of NERV personnel lying dead or dying on the floors. The Alliance men made special note that nearly all of the dead NERV men and women they saw were unarmed.

Following the digital tracker and Musashi's instructions they came to another secluded corridor. The tracker showed that the elevator they were looking for was fifty meters ahead of them, but there were a dozen Japanese special forces also ahead. Burke's team took cover in doorways and again ran a raging firefight against the enemy. Unlike the smaller teams they encountered earlier this group was more stubborn and harder to dislodge, and both sides took casualties as rifles and grenades were fired up and down the hallway.

Finally near the end of the hallway one of the Japanese soldiers looked to his right and noticed two hand grenades that had been lobbed right next to him. The grenades had come not from in front, but behind them. The trooper tried to grab the grenades to throw them back but they blew up as he was reaching for them, shattering his body and several others in his team.

Seeing no gunfire from the end of the hallway, Burke moved his team forward cautiously, checking doorways to ensure there were no remaining opponents. Down at the end they noticed a solitary figure and several men raised their weapons to shoot but Musashi shouted "DON'T!" and then ran quickly to the end of the hall.

There at the elevator was a tall Japanese man in a dark suit, soiled from blood and smoke. One of his sunglasses' lenses was cracked open. The agent saw the other and said, "It's been a long time." The tall man just nodded and said to the agent "I see you finally cut off that pigtail!" They both smiled for a quick moment as they moved to the elevator. Musashi motioned to Burke to move his men forward,

"You took your time getting here," Musashi told him.

"I needed to run an errand for your girlfriend," Kikuchi replied to the agent's surprise as he started to work on the elevator's security lock. "Then on the way back here I ran into all sorts of these assholes!"

The agent was about to ask Kikuchi another question when Burke rushed up, "Alpha, I presume?" he asked the tall man. He nodded and without being asked gave his report. "The Second Child is in her EVA and active against the enemy. The First came down here hours ago. I was on the way back here to bring her out."

"And the Third?" Musashi asked.

"Presumably with the Major," he replied as he got the elevator doors to open.

"We ran into her already," Burke replied.

"Then all is well?" Kikuchi asked. Musashi and Burke both gave him solemn looks. "Oh," Kikuchi said in return. Burke left two men with their wounded in the hallway and grabbed the remaining six he had, along with the two Japanese men and crammed inside the small elevator to Terminal Dogma.

* * *

After several minutes of prolonged combat, Asuka was beginning to wear down from the incessant attacks of the Mass Production EVAs. Upon slashing one in the head again with her halberd she had noted that this was the fourth time she or someone else had struck down that particular beast. It seemed as if each time they defeated one of the Harpies they just regenerated and went right back to attacking them.

"This is starting to, ugh, really get old!" she grunted as she struggled with another unit.

"No kidding," Patrick shouted back. "It's like Night of the Living EVA!" Patrick had slightly better luck, as his hand flamer was an effective weapon against the Harpies. But by now there was only enough fuel left in its fuel tank for a few more shots. He had burned three up and then the others had taken to avoiding the flame gun by flying around him and attacking with their spears. Meanwhile the three EVAs he had burned were starting to regenerate again, their blackened skin turning white as they rapidly healed the damage.

"Well," Patrick asked, "any other ideas?"

"Even Angels were better than this," Asuka shot back. "Where the hell is…"

The Harpy that Unit 02 was fighting suddenly turned its head towards the other side of the GeoFront. Asuka noticed that the EVA had stopped fighting and she suddenly swung up the halberd until she saw what the white creature was looking at.

"...Shinji?"

In the distance they could see the purple-colored Unit 01, moving out of a covered entrance along the domed side of the GeoFront. The Evangelion walked slowly towards the inside.

Asuka spoke into the communicator. "About freaking time you got here. Shinji!" she ordered, "We need you to get the flame rockets on the other side!" but yet the boy didn't say anything in return. She tried to open up a visual channel with him but he blocked the signal. All Asuka could hear was the sound of his breathing on the audio channel.

* * *

Upon seeing the entry of Unit 01 onto the field, the monoliths of SEELE realized that their long-awaited moment had finally come.

"At last our hopes are to be realized," the Chairman said. Then all of the members began to chant:

"_Return the Eva series to its rightful form.  
Evangelize humankind and restore us to our true form.  
With indiscriminate death and prayers, we return to our original state. _"

SEELE 01 gave the final command. "Now, let the sacrament begin!"

* * *

When the Harpies saw EVA-01 walk into the interior of the GeoFront, the ones fighting EVA-02 and 04 immediately broke off their attacks, sprouted their wings again, and started flying towards Unit 01.

"What?" Patrick said in alarm. "They're going after Shinji!"

Asuka noticed it too, as even the wounded ones were now stumbling up off the ground and spouting their wings, picking up their own lances as they began to fly towards the purple unit.

Shinji just closed his eyes and let EVA-01 stand there while the Harpies rapidly approached him. He wouldn't fight, he had decided, but instead just accepted what would now happen to him.

Both Units 02 and 04 ran towards him as fast as possible. "You idiot! What are you doing?" Asuka shouted.

"It's OK," Shinji said at a whisper. "Let them come."

_Baka!_ Asuka tried to move EVA-02 as fast as she could to the other side. _As usual he has no idea what the hell's going on. I just hope that he wakes up before…_

The boy just closed his eyes and waited for the beasts to attack. It would be over soon, he knew, and then everything would be fine. As one of the Mass Production series came closer it launched its Lance of Longinus at EVA-01 and struck it in the side. Another two lances followed and quickly hit Unit 01 on either forearm.

_Sorry, Asuka. Sorry for everything bad I ever did to you. I really did like you, you know…_

Shinji could feel the impact of the lances and the burning sensation on his palms, but he did nothing. He would just accept it. He had lived at everyone's expense already and only by doing this could he hope to pay them back.

He expected to feel the beasts start to tear him apart but after a moment he only felt more punctures on his hands and legs. Shinji opened his eyes and saw that several of the white beasts had now surrounded him, their oversize mouths showing toothy smiles salivating as they strung him up. Each of the lances that had hit Unit 01 had transformed into some sort of strand, and now several of the Harpies were pulling on them while others now mounted on their backs and spread their wings out.

Unit 04 reached the mob first and Patrick started to try and pull away one of the Harpies that was grasping onto EVA-01. Unit 02 quickly arrived and did the same, but both of them found that the white EVAs were holding on too tight.

Shinji's heart pounded harder as he saw now all nine of the Mass Production EVAs cling onto the strands in his punctured EVA's body or onto each other, and they were now flapping their wings with higher and higher velocity. "Why…why won't they kill me?" he fearfully asked.

"Oh, shit," Patrick said as he struggled to pull one of the white things off of Unit 01. "We screwed up! He's what they wanted all along!"

"Shinji! Do something!" Asuka screamed. "It's Third Impact!" She pushed her EVA to pull away the Harpies with all of her remaining strength. "GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HIM!" she shouted, but she was unable to pull any of them from their tight grip on Unit 01 or each other.

Belatedly Shinji tried to move his actuators to struggle out of the Harpies' grip but he was unable to move the EVA. The Lances were somehow able to paralyze the EVAs movements and he was stuck, bound by the strands they had created. "I can't move!" Shinji screamed. At that moment the white beasts all spread out their wings to their full extension and a circular force field began to emerge from them with a strange humming noise.

* * *

In the last couple of minutes the Alliance had managed to put another recon drone above the GeoFront, having launched it from one of their ships off the coast. Sheffield was now standing at the recon officer's station looking at the view from the drone's camera of what was happening inside. A second monitor showed the view from the gun camera mounted on Admiral Vinson's Thunderbolt.

"The drone's picking up something else, sir," the recon officer told Sheffield. "Some sort of electromagnetic resonance but it's not specific to one frequency, it's all over the place!"

"Is it related to the EVA's AT field?" Sir John asked.

"No, sir. It's something entirely different," the officer replied. "Whatever it is the field is expanding in size. I've never seen this before." The young officer looked up at the general. "What is that, sir?"

Sheffield took a deep breath. "Something we haven't seen in fifteen years. Put me in contact with ZEUS, immediately!" he said urgently.

* * *

On the platform where the Second Angel was crucified, Gendo Ikari waited and watched Rei as events progressed above them. Rei simply stood there, knowing that she was here to fulfill her ultimate purpose but yet not knowing how she was expected to do so.

As the Anti-AT field exhibited by the Mass Production Evangelions began to be felt, Gendo noticed that Rei's skin was changing color and beginning to glow. He could also see a glistening all across her body as the bonds of her cells were being disrupted. Being made of parts both human and Angel, a clone of an Evangelion itself, Rei was affected most of all by the field that the EVAs above them had begun to generate.

_The trap is sprung_, Gendo thought to himself.

He took off his right glove, showing the living embryo implanted in his hand that was the physical form of the First Angel. "Adam and I are now as one," he told her. "For this is the only way that I can be with Yui again, through the forbidden joining of Adam and Lillith."

Rei watched her body as the bonds keeping her together slowly began to fail. Her left forearm literally detached from the rest of her arm and dropped to the floor. She felt no pain as it did so.

"Now is the time," Gendo said to her. "Your AT Field can no longer hold your shape. Let's begin, Rei. Release your AT Field. Leave this useless body, merge all souls into one, and then take me to Yui's side!" As Gendo commanded her, he then inserted his right hand through Rei's left breast and into her body.

Gendo slowly moved his hand, gliding through Rei as if she were made of gelatin. She felt an intense wave of sensations flow through her mind and body as Adam began to resonate within her own being.

Ikari continued to move his hand slowly downwards through her body. Rei closed her eyes and grimaced as she could feel the pulsating from Adam throbbing in all directions. She tried to relax herself and allow her body to go, but she felt a twinge somewhere deep inside pushing her to fight on to keep her existence. She winced in discomfort as the commander's hand moved further down inside her, and as his hand reached her most intimate parts he then pushed it deeper within. As she was violated her eyes opened wide and she gasped loudly. _No! Not there! Please not there!_

Rei looked at the commander and saw his grinning teeth and his eyes mad with emotion. She could not say anything to him but she had never been more afraid and broken than she was now.

_Was I not your child? _

_Did you ever see me at all?_

_

* * *

_

Inside the entry plug, Shinji could feel himself getting warmer. He was strangely queasy, almost like his body was slowly dissolving. _What's going on?_

Realizing his mistake in a panic he now sought to struggle as hard as he could, shaking the actuators violently as he tried to get Unit 01 to move even an inch.

The Harpies began to move EVA-01 from the ground to the top of the opening of the GeoFront. Patrick struggled to grab onto one of the Harpies' legs to keep them from flying off with Shinji, but he felt something hot on his hand and pulled away. He looked at EVA-04's left hand and notice that it had slightly melted.

Asuka had clung onto another one of the Harpies' legs and Patrick could see that the shape of EVA-02's arms was distorted. He called out to her "Asuka! That field they're generating is melting you. You've got to let go!"

"NO!" she screamed back. "I WON'T LET THEM TAKE HIM!" The group of the EVAs pulled towards the top opening, dragging Unit 02 with it. Asuka fought hard to keep a hold but found that her arms were suddenly getting hot. Surprised, she she lost her grip and EVA-02 plunged downwards towards the ground.

Patrick panicked and tried to think about what to do. The Harpies were now high and out of his reach, his flame gun was out of fuel and he had no other shooting weapons left. Having no other good options, he called for help. "ZEUS, this is GABRIEL, we have a big problem, over!"

"We see it, " ZEUS hurriedly replied. "Both of you stand by. We're going to put in a FAE right now!"  
"What's that?" Patrick asked.  
"A big firebomb. Now just get ready!"

Before Patrick could say anything further, Vinson switched the audio to the satellite link with OLYMPUS. "Johnnie, we're going to hit those things with FAE. If that doesn't work I want you to get ARES and NEPTUNE to unload every N2 they have on this place ASAP. Tell them not to hold anything back."

"Affirmative, ZEUS."

"If there's anyone left after this," Vinson said with a resigned tone to his voice, "tell them that we tried."

"Right. Godspeed, Bill." ZEUS keyed the audio off.

"Pilot," he shouted in his helmet microphone. "Get us on top of that mess! We need to make sure those missiles arrive on target." The Thunderbolt promptly adjusted its engines and the aircraft shot upwards and out of the GeoFront.

Flying five hundred feet directly above the rising formation of Evangelions, Vinson quickly looked around and saw massive clouds of black smoke and flames as his own men and the Japanese continued to fight to the death on the ground. The battlefield was filled with the burning wreckage of tanks and aircraft and there was a foul stench that he could smell even from his position above. While his Thunderbolt hovered vertically above the GeoFront, Vinson and his assistant quickly worked to confirm and transmit the new target location to the cruise missiles that were coming their way. Inside the cockpit, electronic displays began to fizzle from interference.

"Hurry up, that field is getting stronger!" ZEUS shouted to the junior officer.

The younger man didn't reply but worked frantically at his station for a few seconds. "Locked in!" he shouted back.

"Transmit, now!"

The assistant sent the signal out the satellite radio. A green light flashed briefly on Vinson's display, and then the entire video monitor sparked and died violently.

"Did we get it?" he asked the officer, but there was no reply. The Thunderbolt suddenly began to waver, rolling back and forth in the air.

"Pilot, what's…"

"Signal interference has blown out the fly-by-wire! I'm trying to get control. Hold on, we may have to.."

The Thunderbolt suddenly lurched forward and and then sharply downward as the engines malfunctioned. Vinson's head was thrown against the side glass of the cockpit as the aircraft spun around and out of control.


	22. Chapter 21

The gunfire in Central Dogma had become so intense that the controllers were no longer able to lean over the edge of the operations deck and fight back. Aoba had already been shot in the right shoulder and held a bandage there with his left hand while holding a sub-machine gun in his right. Both him and Hyuga were now huddled underneath the center controller station. Maya was shielded behind both of the men, her tiny hands fearfully gripping an automatic pistol. Hyuga had a gun in each hand and carefully scanned the top of the control room as he saw movement above them.

Once more the controller deck was raked with gunfire and explosions and all three controllers leaned back into the station to avoid the onslaught. This time the gunfire was horribly intense as bullets rickashayed all around them, destroying pieces of the controller stations and the chairs. Futsuyuki's body buffeted as it was hit several times by rounds fired from all directions.

"Geez! Just get it the hell over with!" Hyuga shouted above the noise, wincing as several shots came within inches of where he was squatting. As if on cue, the gunfire tapered off and then finally stopped. There was a long moment of silence.

Hyuga and Aoba looked at each other in apprehension. "They're coming," Aoba whispered as Hyuga nodded and brought his weapons up. All of them took deep breaths and readied for their last stand.

Aoba thought he heard a sound and looked up. Within a second a half-dozen men in green and blue camouflage dropped on the operations deck, repelling from ropes hung above them. The squad pointed assault rifles at the three controllers as one of them shouted "WEAPONS DOWN!" in English.

Both of them hesitated for a second and then Hyuga slowly brought down both of this guns and laid them on the floor. Aoba looked at him and then put his own gun down and slid it over to the soldiers. He then carefully extracted the pistol from Maya's hand and slid it down as well as she had completely frozen in fear. As he slid over Maya's pistol Aoba whispered to Hyuga, "are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Hyuga replied as he brought out his back up pistol and gently placed it on the floor. The soldiers had already moved next to them as all three controllers slowly stood up with their hands raised.

* * *

The Harpies pulled him higher into the air and Shinji went from panic to outright terror. He shook the actuators violently trying to get his EVA to do something, anything to stop what was happening. His heart raced and he was hyperventilating. Inside the entry plug in front of him Shinji saw horrific visions of beings, angels or demons: he couldn't tell which. He then saw a vision of a girl's ghostly face turn into a skull, at which point he lost any remaining sanity he still held.

Shinji screamed out at the top of his voice "ASUKA! ASUKA! HELP ME! HELP ME! MOTHER! MOTHER! PLEASE! PLEASE!" and then as loud as he possibly could he shouted "AYANAMI!"

As the souls of Lillith and Adam were being bound together inside of her barren womb, Rei could sense everything and everyone around her, near and far, and she heard Shinji cry out to her.

_No! Not him!_

_He is being destroyed! _

_But what can I do?_

Realizing there was nothing else left to her she connected to the one inside of her, the part of her who did not call herself Rei. The one she had always feared. The soul of Lilith herself.

_What must I do now?_

The voice replied back to her. _"Do you believe that you have a choice?"_

_But this is my purpose. I must fulfill it._

"_No. You can choose if you wish," _the voice said._ "It is this mercy that I can grant you."_

Rei couldn't think of what came next, but the voice softly asked her. _"What do you want?"_

_I must save the boy. _

"_I don't mean for him. I mean for yourself. I mean for the one who everyone knows as Rei Ayanami. What do _you_ want?"_

_A boy once asked me that question, but I didn't know the answer…_

"_Do you know the answer now?"_ the voice asked. Rei then realized that she did.

_Yes. I…I want…_

_I want to be me._

"_Then that is the choice you have now. Remain here and the Rei that you know will dissolve into nothing. Or unify with me and Adam and fulfill a different purpose."_

_What happens if I choose this?_

"_Everything will change, but you can still be you."_

Rei looked at the commander standing in front of her, his hand still inside of her womb. She made her decision, and her body began to assemble itself again.

Gendo felt the tissue around his hand tighten. "What?" Before he could pull his hand out, Rei's body merged with the hand and with the arm it was attached to and absorbed it inside. The Commander's arm was sucked inside of her, being ripped out of his own socket. In an instant her severed left arm was replaced with a brand new one.

Ikari looked at her in complete disbelief, grasping his now empty right arm socket with his left arm. Rei just looked into his eyes and said coldly "I'm not your doll."

* * *

Patrick felt helpless as he watched EVA-01 being pulled by the nine Mass Production EVAs out of the top opening of the GeoFront. Earlier he had watched as Admiral Vinson's Thunderbolt had hovered above them, only to lose control and smash to the ground inside the GeoFront. Now the formation of Harpies and their prey were moving beyond the top opening and out into the open sky.

As he watched the EVAs flap their wings faster, Patrick noticed two very small objects flying just above them. When they were on top of the center of the formation of Evangelions suddenly there was a massive burst of smoke and what looked like a large halo made up of gray-white clouds formed around the top of the group. In the center of the halo he could see a small flare appear. A moment later seemingly the entire sky appeared to lite up in flame.

EVA-04 and 02 shielded their eyes from the flash and explosion. The bomb seemed like it was burning for several seconds afterward, much longer than a regular explosive. Once Patrick and Asuka opened their eyes again they looked towards the sky and saw the nine Harpies. They were all caught on fire, flames rippling through their wings and bodies, their flesh turning black and their screams were loud in agony. The burning bodies of the Mass Production units fell to the ground inside the GeoFront in a scene that looked like it was out of _Dante's Inferno_. They had let go of the cords bounding EVA-01, and now Unit 01 was floating to the ground. Her eyes glowed and her AT field formed a giant pair of dragon-like wings out of her back. When she had landed on the ground, EVA-01 gave out a loud roar.

"Shinji…" a stunned Patrick said quietly.

Unit 01 roared again and then searched the field with raging eyes, finding one of the Mass Production units close by with its flesh burning. The Evangelion quickly ran to it and furiously grabbed it with both hands. She quickly tore the beast in two and its entry plug snapped out at the small of its back. On seeing the entry plug Unit 01 took the white tube by its hand and slammed it to the ground, breaking it in two. She then left it on the ground and ran towards another of the nearby beasts.

Both of the other pilots saw what had just happened. "The entry plugs," Asuka told Patrick. "It's the only way to kill them!"

"Then let's finish this!" Patrick said with venom in his voice. "Prog Knifes!" At his command two giant progressive knives ejected from their shoulder mounts on Unit 04. His EVA took both knives in her hands, their blades held forward in a striking position. He then screamed a battle cry at the top of his voice and began running towards the nearest of the Harpies to him. Asuka watched him go at first, then picked up her halberd and swung it around, looking for her nearest target. "Save some for me!"

* * *

Sheffield spoke in an unusually sharp tone as he pushed his battle staff for answers. "Situation?"

The recon officer shouted "Major damage reported on all nine targets!" Above them, the status board had changed to reflect the current situation.

"What about the EVAs?"

"GABRIEL and both NERV EVAs are still active," a female officer called out.

"Any sign of ZEUS?"

"Negative, sir," another officer called out. "Aircraft unit reports as destroyed."

Sir John looked at the giant display and saw an incredible mess of colored data markers slowly moving around and flashing frequently. In the center where the GeoFront was displayed, there were purple, red, and white markers indicating EVA-01, 02 and 04, and nine black & white markers indicating enemies. He also noted a maker in blue and gray that showed ZEUS's last reported location, which was inside the GeoFront.

_Let's hope this works, given the price we had to pay for it..._

"General!" Sheffield turned and saw another officer, this time an older one, report to him. "Yes?"

"Secondary operations are commencing now, sir."

The general had nearly forgotten. Tokyo-3 wasn't the only battlefield they were fighting on.

* * *

Alarm spread through the men of SEELE as they watched their dream disappear. "NO!" the Chairman cried. "The Door to Heaven is Closing!"

"The Mask of Jehovah has been stripped away!" one of the others shouted out.

"The shame! Our forces have been defeated by mere children!" said another.

As the members of SEELE observed their doom one of the thirteen monoliths gathered in their virtual coven suddenly vanished. Within a few seconds another three fizzled and disappeared one after another.

"We have been penetrated!" one of the members said in a panic before his marker vanished.

"There has been a betrayal from within," SEELE 02 said. "We must regroup and gather what we still can."

"Then sound the retreat," ordered SEELE01. "We will withdraw and convene again according to plan." Within a moment all of the other monoliths disappeared and only SEELE 01 remained.

"Interlopers! They do not know what they have done," mourned SEELE 01. "But they will surely regret it!"

* * *

Patrick charged EVA-04 straight into one of the white EVAs that was lying on the ground writhing in pain. Quickly he jumped on and rolled it over, then with both of his Prog Knives ripped two large slashes down its back. As the carapace was broken open a red and white entry plug slid out and Unit 04 grabbed it and smashed it on the ground, breaking it into two. He left it on the ground next to the dead EVA and then hunted for another.

He found his second target a hundred meters away pulling itself off the ground. Despite the massive burns its skin was starting to again regenerate and recover itself. Fueled by rage the boy crashed into the EVA with his knives pointed forward, tearing holes in its chest and spilling out volumes of LCL. The Harpy struggled but Unit 04 had the edge, and rolled it into the ground face forward. EVA-04 then knelt on its back as she kept stabbing it in the rear until it stopped moving. Patrick then used the knife to slit open its spine and then grabbed its entry plug as it slid out, snapping it in half.

Now running on pure adrenaline Patrick moved Unit 04 upwards and searched for another target. He saw a white EVA in front of him but before he could strike at it the red Unit 02 jumped on top of it and pushed it down to the ground, spearing it repeatedly with her halberd. He then looked around and saw another Harpy to his right, but it too was under attack, this time by Unit 01. EVA-01 had grabbed a Lance and was rapidly striking the white beast all over its body as it writhed in pain.

Patrick moved to help Shinji in his attack but as he ran Unit 04 towards him he suddenly felt something painful in his back and chest. He tried to turn around to see what had hit him but he found that he was paralyzed and couldn't move. Time seemed to slow down around him and he tried to shout out something but couldn't do it. Then he saw the video display on his entry plug crack into a hundred pieces and he felt himself falling backwards.

* * *

Burke, Musashi and the rest of the soldiers ran down the dark hallway towards the source of light. They had ended their long elevator ride at Terminal Dogma and after Musashi guided them to a now empty laboratory the squad was now rushing to meet its final objective: securing the Angels in NERV's possession.

Once reaching the end of the hallway they found a large steel dock at one end of a sea of LCL. At the other end of the sea was a giant crucifix, now empty. Standing at the edge of the dock and looking up at the ceiling was Commander Ikari.

The men rushed to the other end and stopped where Ikari was standing. Musashi then approached him from behind and pointed an automatic pistol to his head. He immediately noticed that his right arm was missing, and the decomposing remains of a girl's arm were lying on the dock next to them.

The commander turned and faced the agent with a stunned look. "Oh, it's you!" he said. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, should I?"

"What the hell were you doing?" the agent asked him.

Ikari looked away from him and towards the high ceiling of the cavern. "I wanted to be with Yui again but she wouldn't let me." His expression was that of a child who just had his toys taken away from him.

"Where's the First…" before he could finish the sentence Musashi saw a body floating in the LCL lake next to them. Immediately recognizing her he broke away from the commander and dove into the LCL from the edge of the dock. Two soldiers moved next to the commander with their rifles aimed point blank.

Musashi swam until he reached the body and then with some great effort dragged it out of the LCL and onto the dock as Burke helped him get the body out of the lake. Carefully the two of them laid the corpse onto the steel floor.

The agent looked at her face mournfully, tussling her wet hair with his hand. "Who is this?" Burke asked him.

"It's Dr. Akagi, the scientific director." They both noticed the bullet hole in her forehead and looked at the commander. One of the soldiers had already fished out Ikari's pistol from his jacket pocket and showed it to the two others. Gendo looked on with dead eyes.

The agent looked back at the face of his friend and used his fingers to close her eyelids. He then closed his own eyes tightly, his face trembling in anger. _No! Not both of you on the same day!_

_

* * *

_

Inside the Geofront Asuka continued to stab the white EVA underneath Unit 02 with her halberd. The weapon had earlier broken in two but she kept plunging what remained of it into the wreathing body of the Harpy.

"DIE!DIE!DIE!" she spoke in a trance, her eyes crazy with rage. Finally her attacks reached the core of the beast and LCL gushed out as she drove her blade in deep enough to smash the entry plug inside. Only at success did she finally stop.

She let go of the blade as she breathed hard, silently looking at the broken creature in front of her which was finally dead. "Asuka? Asuka!" She heard Shinji's voice on the speaker.

Without saying anything she looked up and saw him on the video window in the plug. Like her, he was panting heavily, hair roiled in sweat, and with blood on his lips.

"Hey," she said in faint anger, "Don't take so damn long to come out next time!"

"Next time don't you take on everybody just by yourself!" Shinji retorted back.

The two of them looked at each other with angry faces as they caught their breath. Finally Asuka saw Shinji start to smile at her through the display. She responded, giving a sigh of relief and smiling back.

"Did we get them all?" she asked. Shinji shook his head and EVA-01 pointed towards the opening of the GeoFront: two scarred Harpies were now flying away from Tokyo-3, one of them still clinging to its spear.

"Oh, well," she said. "Good enough, I guess." She looked around and saw the remains of the battlefield they fought on. Corpses of EVAs, plus helicopters and other sinews of war caught on fire littered the grounds. There were dark plumbs of smoke and smashed buildings and structures. Sunlight was blocked by much of the smoke and debris as long shadows were seen all around.

"Asuka," Shinji said softly, "check your power cable." She did so and noticed it was severed. She also noticed that her EVA had power anyway, even though the battery clock was down to "0:00."

"How...how is that possible?"

"Don't know," Shinji said.

Asuka looked around at the entry plug around her. She did know. _This is Mama's heart_, she thought. _She had the power when I needed it._

As she finally calmed herself down Asuka felt herself in a daze as she tried to recall what she was supposed to do next. "Uh, Kaji told me that I was supposed to tell you something the next time I saw you."

"Kaji? Asuka, Kaji is…"  
"Yeah, I know but I…." she struggled to catch the memory, as everything in the last few days seemed like such a blur. Was it some sort of dream? "He was carrying me on his back and he said that I should tell you that…" Her words drifted as the rest of the memory popped in her head. "That I…" She was silent for a little while.

"Asuka, what is it?" Shinji asked.

She gulped down hard, unusually nervous. Then through the video channel she looked straight at him and said loudly "Shinji, I love…"

"Oh, No!" Shinji shouted. As soon as he did so EVA-01 started to move.

_Oh, great. I finally do this and he gets distracted._ "Hey, I'm talking to you!" Asuka called after him but Shinji wasn't listening. He had rushed over to one of the EVAs lying on the ground. With its white color he had thought it was one of the destroyed mass production series at first but then at second glance he saw the helmet shape and silver trim and knew it was Unit 04.

Unit 01 quickly reached where EVA-04 was lying. Unit 02 arrived a moment later, dragging a bit from wounds it had received. The silvery-white Evangelion was lying on its back, a Lance of Longinus was protruding through its chest as LCL bled out of the opening. She wasn't moving but Shinji could still see some light in the EVA's eyes.

"Patrick! Patrick!" Shinji called out as EVA-01 knelt down and shook Unit 04's shoulder to try to wake her up. There was no response from the Evangelion, nor was there any response on the audio or video channels. _Was he dead?_ he wondered. The EVA still looked warm, like it was alive but just barely.

"Patrick!" Shinji cried, not sure if the American boy could hear him or not. "About what you said to me before, there's something you should know!" He paused to wait for a response but none came. "Ayanami…she's not dead! She's still alive! And if you want to see her again just hold on! Please just hold on!" Behind Unit 01, something had started to glow and while Shinji was focused on the fallen Evangelion Asuka looked behind her at the source of the light and gasped.

"Um, Shinji?" she interrupted.

"Asuka, I can't get him awake!"

"_Baka!"_ she shouted. "Look behind you!"

Shinji did so and what he saw took his breath away. Standing behind them on the inside floor of the GeoFront was a gigantic, glowing white figure over 1,000 meters in height. The giant of light was growing rapidly as it straightened itself, the head was already outside of the opening at the top of the GeoFront.

Both Shinji and Asuka watched as the giant of light continued to grow. Neither of them knew what to do next.

"What is that? An Angel?" Asuka asked.

Shinji looked carefully at the giant. "Maybe the Second Angel, but…"

The giant turned and looked down at the two Evangelions. Then slowly the figure bent over and placed its hands next to where Units 01 and 02 stood. As the glowing figure bent downwards Shinji noticed that the body looked no different than a human female. When he had seen the Angel Lillith in Terminal Dogma during the fight with Kaworu, it had not looked like the giant he now saw in front of him now. He did however notice something very familiar about this one.

As the giant bent over Asuka moved Unit 02 in front of Unit 01, with her arms stretched outward. "Get out of the way!" she ordered, but Shinji just moved beside her. "It's okay, Asuka! I think I know what this is!" Before Unit 02 could pull him aside the giant gently scooped up EVA-01 in its hands and began to bring her up into the sky.

Asuka tried to reach for him but as she did so her EVA finally ran out of power, the emergency red lighting coming on inside the entry plug as the capacitors whined down. Quickly she pulled the plug ejection handle and climbed outside to see what was happening.

All over the battlefield fighting ceased as those who could see what was happening in the skies above the GeoFront stopped what they were doing and looked up in stunned silence. The glowing white giant had now grown to several kilometers in height, straightening up its stance and holding up its hands in front of its face as EVA-01 hovered several meters above its outstretched palms.

* * *

On board the _Liberator_, Hikari and Toji pointed at the figure as Kensuke scrambled to find a video chip that wasn't already full.

"Oh, my God! What is that?" Hikari gasped.

"It's some sort of Angel but it's, like a person," Toji observed.

_Damn! Of all the times to run out of memory it's now._ Kensuke had no choice but to wipe out one of the chips taken during the battle and reinsert it back in his video camera. He then quickly put the camera in focus on the towering figure, now nearly as tall as nearby Mount Fuji. "Whatever kind of Angel that is," Kensuke remarked as he filmed the giant, "she's got nice tits!"

* * *

Shinji looked at the giant of light and saw the face. Oversized deep red eyes were sunken into its head as the mouth opened in a bizarrely wide smile. He was terrified at what he saw but at the same time had recognition of what it was. The lithe, feminine body. The beautiful round face with hair cropped short. He knew what he saw was not an Angel at all, and with all of his remaining emotional strength he closed his eyes tight and called out the giant's true name.

"AYANAMI!"


	23. Chapter 22

Shouting at the top of his lungs Shinji called out Ayanami's name three times, each time with no response from the giant. Inside of his mind he recalled every good memory he ever had with Rei, from when he first met her when he first came to Tokyo-3, to the moment he held her hand the day before she died. With tears flowing from his eyes he cried out one more time "AYANAMI! PLEASE!" and there was a long silence.

Shinji slowly opened his eyes and expected to see the piercing red eyes of the giant. When he did so, the red eyes were there but they were not the ones he had seen before. The eyes he saw now were gentle. The giant's smile was now small and soft, the face kind. It was the face of his mother, and the face of his most true friend.

"Ayanami!" he cried again in recognition, the tears now flowing uncontrollably. She looked upon him and while she didn't speak her smile broadened. Despite her dramatic transformation, she was Rei again.

The boy could feel something reach inside of him but didn't fight the feeling. Rather he let the boundaries of his heart go and he could sense it was Rei herself, or some part of her, that was probing inside his emotions. A rush of memories came through his mind as it seemed like his whole life was being reviewed by her. Flashing before his eyes he could see visions of his early childhood, playing with and being held by his mother. He saw the laboratory accident that took her away and then the subsequent abandonment by his father. The years he spent of lonely, solitary existence at his uncle's house. Then the flashbacks came to his time with EVA and all of the hardships and turmoil he faced. He also saw good along with the bad: the friendships he made and the happiness he felt in reaching out and finding connections to others. There were a cacophony of sounds running through his head as this happened but Shinji thought he could hear cello music play throughout.

His thoughts came to this last and most eventful day of his life. Though him she experienced the death by his hand, the death he had very nearly received, and the deaths and dying of others around him. _There was something I needed to tell her_, Shinji realized but before he could say it Rei already knew what it was.

Without saying anything the glowing giant gently lowered EVA-01 back on the grounds inside the GeoFront. Asuka, now standing on the shoulder of Unit 02, watched in wordless surprise as Rei let Shinji down. For a moment the giant Rei looked at her and Asuka clutched onto her EVA and started shaking in fear, but Rei just smiled at her and then moved to where Unit 04 lay.

As Unit 01 landed Shinji moved her close enough to EVA-02 for Asuka to jump onto his own Evangelion. When she came on board Shinji released the entry plug and popped open the side door.

Asuka was running on top of EVA-01's shoulder as Shinji called out her name, scrambling out of the plug and sliding down to the EVA's collarbone. They met each other half way as Shinji threw his arms around the redhead and squeezed her tight. She just stood there at first but then as he wouldn't let go she also put her arms around him.

Shinji looked at her face. "Asuka!" he said, still with tears in his eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Of course!" she fired back, acting annoyed. "What are _you_ crying for?"

He smiled at her and hugged her again. "I'm just really glad to see you again!"

She softened her expression and gently smiled back at him. "Hey, you can't get rid of me _that _easily!" Asuka looked up at the giant Rei and said to Shinji "Is that...that_ thing_ the First?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it's her!"

"I always knew she was weird!"

Shinji's joy at seeing Asuka again dissipated as he watched Rei pick up the motionless Unit 04 like it was a rag doll, lifeless in her hands.

"Oh, no," he said quietly as he still held onto Asuka. "It's too late..."

* * *

Patrick lay inside the entry plug paralyzed, unable to move or speak. The interior lights still had some power but the video imaging inside the plug was cracked, and only a small part of it allowed him to see outside the EVA. Multiple alarms sounded inside the plug indicating damage and malfunctions.

He could feel that his breathing was very labored. On his back and inside of his chest there was a horrible burning sensation. Patrick tried to move his hand but it wouldn't budge. He couldn't recall how he had been struck down but could only assume one of the Lances carried by the Mass Production EVAs must have hit Unit 04 from behind.

Because his audio feed was destroyed Patrick was unable to hear anything that Shinji had said earlier. To him, time had slowed down into a crawl. His head felt light, like he was uncontrollably sleepy. He realized that there weren't that many moments left for him.

_Well, I guess I knew this was coming. Vance you were right, it's more important to hit the target than to worry about getting hit yourself. At least Shinji and Asuka made it. Third Impact stopped. Mission Accomplished._

_Erin, I'm so sorry. I just had borrowed time left to me. I hope one day you'll find out everything, and then you'll know...you'll know I did this for you, too._

Patrick had to work to keep his eyelids open. The power in the plug started to get lower and the lights went from white to red. He could feel something rocking the EVA from outside but he didn't know what it was. He felt it was harder and harder for him to breathe, and he rolled his head to the side and looked at the one remaining part of the video feed that was still working. Through the sliver of the monitor he saw her: the beautiful face, pale white skin, and bright red eyes looking down at him. She held him in her hands and brought him into the sky.

_Rei...you really are my angel Please take me home..._

He then closed his eyes and gave himself to the darkness.

* * *

Rei held EVA-04 in her hands and looked curiously at it. Then she pulled both of her hands towards her, pressing the Evangelion through her chest where it was absorbed into her being.

She saw herself standing naked in the middle of a giant orange-colored lake. The horizon was also orange-red, like the LCL that she was standing in. In the distance crystalline formations moved slowly around her, each one taking the shape of herself. Floating just above the LCL sea was a girl who looked like Rei, dressed in a blue and white school uniform. Next to the floating Rei was a teenaged boy with silver hair and red eyes, dressed in a white and navy boys' uniform. His face was the same as Kaworu Nagisa. Both of the children looked at her as she stood in the lake.

"Do you know where you are?" the girl asked her.

"Yes," Rei replied. "These are the confines of my heart." Rei looked at the girl who floated above here. "You are the one inside of me, the one they call the Second Angel."

"That was the fragment of my soul inside of you," the girl said to her. "Now I have been made complete again."

Rei turned to the boy. "You are the one called Adam."

He smiled. "Pleased to meet you!"

"We have been joined together," Rei said to them both.

"That which was being used to further the ends of others is now being used to furnish our own ends," the girl said to her.

The boy joined in. "We have ourselves become the masters of our own destiny, and the world's."

"This is Third Impact," said Rei.

"Of a sort," the girl answered. "At this juncture all pathways are now open to us. It is simply up to us to make the decision of which direction to go."

"This world can be ended or began again," the boy chimed in, "to the method of our own choosing."

"The Third Child, was it not his choice after all?" Rei asked.

"His choice was made in another way, at another time," said the girl. "These are the effects of it. It was his wish that you would have this chance."

"The decision is for the three of us together," said Adam.

"But yet we are not ourselves alone," Lillith replied as she looked across the lake.

Not far from where they spoke Rei looked upon the lake and saw a boy lying naked in shallow water, being held by another girl. Without walking she glided through the LCL and arrived near him. The boy appeared dead, a gaping wound through his chest. Rei saw that the boy was Patrick Forrestal.

Clinging to the boy and sitting in the shallow water was girl that looked Rei's age, but she was Caucasian. She had short blond hair and bright emerald eyes framed by round glasses, and she was wearing Rei's school uniform. Like the boy she too had a gaping wound through her chest and out her back. The girl held Patrick in her arms with his head resting upon her chest, and she moved her fingers gently through his hair as she sobbed softly.

Rei addressed the girl. "You are the EVA."

"Yes…"

"What has happened?"

She spoke to Rei as she continued to caress Patrick's hair. "He didn't want to go at first. I knew he had to but he didn't want to leave, until they pulled him out. Once he was outside he knew what was required of him…the price he had to pay!"

Behind Rei both Lillith and Adam appeared again, floating over the sea. "Do you know him?" Lillith asked Rei.

"Yes," Rei replied as the memory fully came back to her now. "The boy from far away."

"You know, I could never reach his heart," the girl said, looking up at Rei. "But you could! When he first saw you it touched him deep inside, and he never could let go. You were his hope, the one thing in his life that said things would be alright for him."

Rei looked away from them, "I never intended this."

"But yet you allowed it!" Lillith said to her.

"Because I was curious…"

"Because you wondered who you really were," Adam added. "Were you just like the others, or were you different?"

"You remember what happened that day?" Lillith asked her.

"Yes," Rei said. "We talked. We ate ice cream."

"For the first time, you laughed," Adam told her. "And you ran with him, and held his hand."

Rei looked up at Adam. "I wasn't myself that day…

"Actually," Lillith said as she floated directly in front of Rei. "You were."

Adam also appeared at Rei's side. "The one day in your life when you weren't the First Child, you weren't the Pilot of EVA-00, or the descendent of Yui Ikari, or even the host of Lillith. You were just Rei."

"Yes," she replied, thinking about everything that was said. "And I remember that I was happy."

"He asked you what you wanted, for yourself," Lillith said.  
"I couldn't answer him then." Rei looked again at the boy lying in the LCL. "But each day afterward I thought about it. I wondered what was possible."

"And when the moment came where it mattered most," followed Adam, "you had the answer you sought."

"I wanted to be me."

"And it was your faith, and his," the EVA said to her, "that made you complete."

Rei stood there for a long while, considering everything that she felt. "If it had not been for him," she realized, "I might not have made the choice that I did."

She knelt down next to the dying boy, looking at his face. In this state he seemed so very peaceful to her, like he was just sleeping and not dead. "What can be done for him?" she asked the others.

"It is within you to make him whole," Lillith replied.

"He can return," Adam said, "and live again."

Lillith moved towards Rei, now kneeling next to her. "As for you, we can give you peace."

"No one has suffered such as you have," Adam said to her as he also knelt down in the shallow LCL, "brought into the world as an empty shell made in the image of others and enslaved to the will of others. Yet you accepted your place without fear, without anger."

"And despite all of the coldness in your life," Lillith continued, "you learned to manifest in your heart an emotion such that you did not even know what to call it."

"The emotion called love," Adam followed.

"As a result you have been blessed above all," Lillith said to with a gentle expression. "And bound with us you can fulfill the greatest of all destinies, if it is your will to do so."

Rei looked up on both Lillith and Adam. What she was being offered was the fulfillment she had sought, a way to fill up the inside space of her that had always seemed so empty. Joining with the First and Second Angels would give her purpose, she knew, but yet something tugged at her heart. Throughout her short life she had made connections and experienced many things both good and bad, and had felt the hearts of others. She wanted the chance to explore that as well. She couldn't have both.

She looked at the boy's face and gave her answer. "I just want to be me."

"Then there is a path that can take you back," Lillith replied. "You can once more be together with the others."

"It is not easy, however," Adam continued. "You will never be the same as them. You will always stand apart. They will taste death and still carry the burden of their lives."

"But with you," Lillith said, "their burdens can be made just a little bit easier."

Adam smiled as he carried on. "And the world can start to be made whole again, as it was before."

Lillith looked at Rei with the concern of a parent. "It is a difficult path for you, fraught with uncertainty and peril. There will be times of joy, but also of loneliness and even despair. But the hope is there, for them, for you…and for your children."

"I know that it will be difficult," Rei answered softly, "but I still want to try."

Lillith smiled. "Then your heart has already chosen."

Rei looked at both of them. "What will be become of you?"

"We will do as we are bidden," the Second Angel replied. "To watch and guide, as was our appointed roles here before."

"But now in harmony," Adam joined in, "and not in conflict with each other. Through your body Man and Angel have become united as one!"

"And you will become our link to this world," Lillith concluded, "but you will still be you. That is our promise."

"Then let it be done," Rei replied. She moved her hand gently to Patrick's chest and touched it where the wound was. As she touched the wound, the boy's skin seemed to come alive, and quickly worked to repair the tissue until the damage was gone and the boy's chest was whole again. Rei looked at the EVA and her wound was healed as well, and she smiled at her as tears again ran down her cheeks. Then Rei noticed that Patrick was stirring. As she knelt in front of him he slowly began to open his eyes, and he awoke to her smiling face.


	24. Chapter 23

The giant of light now began to transform again. On her back several pairs of wings started to grow out. They were crystalline in appearance as if they were made out of delicate glass. The giant cupped her hands in front of her and a large glowing ball of energy started forming. Above her head a glowing halo appeared.

"What is that?" Hyuga said as the three controllers and their captors watched the giant on their monitors as it changed. He looked at Aoba and both of them motioned to the controller stations, knowing what the other was thinking. Then Aoba spoke to the squad leader who was pointing a rifle at him. "Would you mind?" he said in broken English. Before the sergeant could object the three controllers rushed to their seats and started to scan the giant.

"It's magnifying an AT field into that sphere," Aoba reported. "It's condensing mass inside of it…like a black hole!"

"The electromagnetic resonance is unbelievable!" Maya said. "There's never been a reading this high!"

"Is it the Second Angel?" Hyuga asked her.

"The Giant of Light. It must be the First Angel!" Aoba said.

Maya carefully studied at what was on her display. "No. It's not an Angel at all," she replied as they all looked up again at the giant. "Whatever it is…it's human!"

The Giant began to arch her back as she took the sphere and raised it above her head. The halo expanded in size and then divided in two, the second halo growing even wider as it rotated around her body. The energy sphere in between her hands began to grow and pulse more and more rapidly. Suddenly the sphere condensed itself into a tiny black dot and then exploded in a massive wave of light that emanated in all directions.

Standing on Unit 01's shoulder and holding each other tightly as they watched, Shinji and Asuka both quickly shielded their eyes as the energy wave came to them. The light was so bright that for several seconds neither one could open their eyes. When they finally did open their eyes they looked at the sky and saw...nothing. The Giant had disappeared.

"AYANAMI! AYANAMI!" Shinji called out to no answer. He looked up in vain as nothing was left of the giant Rei had become.

"No...no," Shinji whimpered as his tears flowed again. "She's gone! They're both gone!"

"_Baka_," Asuka said quietly as they still held to each other. "It was what she wanted."

As Shinji looked above to try to find any sign of Rei, Asuka lowered her gaze at the level of the GeoFront and saw a familiar white EVA kneeling on the ground some distance away. "Hey," she shook Shinji as she pointed out Unit 04 in the distance. The boy saw it and nodded, giving her a weak smile.

* * *

Patrick woke up and found himself in the entry plug. He immediately noticed that the lighting was normal, and the video display in the plug wasn't cracked but was completely intact. He didn't hear any alarms sounding damage or alerts and in fact there was no noise at all inside.

He immediately grabbed at his chest and felt nothing, just his plug suit. He didn't have the burning sensation from before. Patrick shook his head and tried to orient himself. He remembered that he was hit in the back by one of the enemy lances. Then there was something about being lifted up in the sky but he couldn't quite piece it together, but the last memory he could recall was about seeing her face. _What was that?_

Working to figure out where he was Patrick looked at the video display and saw he was back inside the GeoFront. There were natural features here such as grass and trees that weren't as affected by the battle inside. In searching around for some landmark to determine exactly where he was, he noticed a body lying on the ground next to his EVA.

He increased the magnification of the video display and looked closely at the body. She was lying on her side unmoving, her head down on the grass. Her body was naked and he saw her porcelain white skin, her delicate hands and feet, and her azure blue hair. For a moment Patrick froze as he watched her. Then his heart began to race as fear and hope gripped him tightly together.

Patrick ejected the entry plug and raced to the doorway on the side of the plug, quickly pushing the door open. Hastily he reached at the side of the door and pulled out a First Aid Kit, ripping it open. He grabbed a silver-colored blanket out of the box as he climbed outside the plug and stumbled to find the mechanical rope that would lower him to the ground. Patrick found the rope but dropped the rest of the first aid kit on his way down. The box clanged down the side of the entry plug as bandages and medicines flew out in all directions. Over half-way to the ground he let go of the rope and jumped the ten feet to the bottom, landing hard and falling over on the grass, still with the blanket in his hand.

Picking himself up, he raced around the kneeling EVA and towards the girl lying on the ground. Patrick ran as fast as he could and in a few seconds he reached where she lay, sliding down on his knees next to her. He turned her over on her back and looked at her face and at that moment knew it was her, it was truly Rei Ayanami that he now saw in front of him.

"Rei! Rei!" he cried as he shook her to try to wake her up. He didn't think he could hear her breathing. Was she dead? "Rei, please! Wake up!" He anxiously waited several seconds to see if she would respond.

Slowly she opened her eyes and squinted as she looked at him, trying to get used to the light. Rei had a puzzled expression on her face. "Vinson-kun?" she asked him with a soft voice.

"No. No, I just borrowed this," he said as he motioned to his black and red plug suit. A sudden fear crept into his head: _maybe she forgot who I was_. "You _do_ remember me, don't you?"

She opened her eyes more and then she saw him clearly. "Forrestal-kun," she replied in recognition.

"Yes, that's it!" he said. Patrick was choking up, and found himself crying as he kept looking at her face. Without even thinking about what he was doing he found himself caressing her hair as he smiled at her.

"Why are you crying?" she asked him.

"Because I'm happy you're still alive! They...they told me you were dead!"

She looked pensive. "There's not a word that can describe what happened to me."

"Of course," he replied as he kept touching her hair.

_He's like Ikari-kun, in a way._ Rei just remained lying on the ground and then smiled a little as she looked at the boy. His smile brightened in response and then he realized how absolutely awkward they were as she was stark naked right next to him with only a small silver cross around her neck to cover her.

"Um, here. You should cover yourself up!" Patrick carefully lifted her off the grass and wrapped the silver blanket around her. He then picked her up off the ground and held her while he looked for a better place for her to sit down. Rei was apprehensive at first but she didn't struggle, letting the boy carry her in his arms. After a minute he found a collection of large rocks and gently sat her down on one of them, still wrapped in the silver blanket. He sat next to her.

Rei took a moment to collect herself and then spoke to him without looking at him. She was serious again. "You were able to open to your heart to your EVA, were you not?"

"I was, otherwise I wouldn't be here at all," Patrick answered. "Thanks to you for showing me how."

"I did very little really," Rei told him. "You were already beginning to understand when you came here before."

Patrick struggled to find the words he needed to say to her. In his mind he had imagined seeing her again so many times yet now nothing he had gone over seemed to fit this moment. "Rei, I..." She looked at him as he spoke but then they both felt the ground pounding and heard noises, and they turned to find the source: running up from the distance to where they were sitting was EVA-01.

Rei stood up off the rock, as did Patrick. "Ikari-kun," she said softly as she watched it approach.

The violet EVA got to within fifty meters of both of them and knelt down. The entry plug twisted out of the back again and Shinji and Asuka both popped out the side door. As Shinji hit the ground Rei opened her eyes wider and became more emotional. "Ikari-kun?" she called out.

Once Shinji heard her voice he picked up speed and ran to them as fast as he could, with Asuka running just a couple of steps behind him. "Ayanami!" he called to her as he ran.

"IKARI-KUN!" Rei screamed as she bolted towards him, her silver blanket being left behind her. Patrick grabbed the blanket off the ground and through to run after her but held back. He knew right now she needed to see Shinji, and he knew why.

They both called out for each other until they collided, Shinji wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. Rei didn't hold back, throwing her arms around him and burying her head on his shoulder. Years of unspent emotion poured out as she began to sob uncontrollably. Asuka and Patrick both silently watched as the two held onto each other and cried. They remained that way for a very long time.

After a while Rei and Shinji calmed down and everyone sat back down on the rocks. Rei wrapped herself in the silver blanket that Patrick returned to her and sat next to Shinji, her head resting on his shoulder. Patrick sat close to Rei and Asuka sat on a different rock. They all silently looked at each other, speechless from fatigue that had set in after all that had happened before. They mostly just smiled at each other except for Asuka who kept glaring at Rei.

"I always knew she was weird," she said again. Shinji sighed and looked at Rei. He was just glad to have her back.

After more awkward silence Asuka blurted out "Well, don't everyone talk at once!"

Shinji followed, looking at Patrick. "So...what happened to you? We though you were dead!"

"Maybe I was," Patrick mused. "The whole thing is so screwed up..."

"They said you were a spy!" Asuka accused.

"Vance was the spy. I was along for the ride. What was supposed to happen was that he would steal the Angel's S2 organ along with Unit 03. Unfortunately," Patrick spoke as he looked at Rei "it didn't work out that way."

"You mean _fortunately_," Asuka corrected.

"Actually Vance was set up. By my father."

"Your _father_?" Shinji said.

"Yeah. He sold Vance and his father out to the UN, then took over the EVA program at NERV-2. Then somehow he got them to give him the S2 engine anyway. One he hooked that up with Unit 04 he was going to come back here and finish you guys off!"

"Why?" Shinji asked. "If they destroy us the Angels can just come right in and start Third Impact!"

"That was the whole idea," Patrick explained. "Dad wasn't too great about humanity getting another chance."

"So what happened, anyway?" Asuka asked. "I mean, you disappeared. How'd you get back?"

"They found the EVA in the desert about two weeks ago. When they found her they couldn't get me out of the plug at first. Apparently I had melted." When Patrick said that, all of the other pilots looked at each other.

"What?" Patrick asked.

"400% Sync," Shinji replied.

"What the hell is that?"

"It happened to me, too," Shinji said. "It took them over a month to pull me out."

Patrick was surprised at that. "Wow. I guess I wasn't the only one then. Anyway, there's a lot to tell. I'm sure we can all go back to Misato's place and trade stories," he chucked. The expression on Shinji's face turned grim as he touched his lips with his hand. There was still blood on it.

"Misato's...she's gone," Shinji said quietly.

Asuka gasped loudly. "But...I spoke to her during the battle!"

"It happened right after that. At the elevator on top of the EVA cages."

The redhead was suddenly very quiet, her face becoming hard as she fought off tears. "Oh, no," she said quietly to herself.

"Shinji, I'm so sorry," Patrick told him. Shinji nodded, but Patrick noticed that Rei looked puzzled.

"What is it?"  
"I'm not sure," she replied. "It's possible Major Katsuragi might still be alive."

Shinji hung his head. "I don't think so, otherwise she wouldn't have..."

"Wouldn't have _what_?" Asuka shot out.

"Oh, just forget it!" Shinji angrily responded, and then just hung his head again. Everyone was quiet for a while after that.

Asuka shook her head a few times to clear her mind. "So who was that other pilot?" she asked Patrick.

"Oh, that was Mari. EVA-05."

"That was an Evangelion unit? It looked like something from outer space!"

"They had to kind of stitch it together," Patrick said sadly. "Anyway, I don't think she made it either."

Rei looked at something in the distance. "Do you mean her?"

Patrick looked where Rei was pointed and saw a solitary figure stumbling towards them, dressed in a green and white bodysuit. She was carrying a helmet in one hand while holding something over her eye with another. Her hair was worn long and not tied in braids but he knew who it was and without saying anything rushed out to the girl.

"Lusty!" he called out as he ran towards her.

"Pats!" Mari answered back. "When you said your girl was an angel, I didn't think you meant it _literally_!"

Patrick reached her and without thinking immediately embraced her. "Ow!" she said and he let go right away.

"Oh, sorry! Does it hurt?"

She smirked at him, barely hiding the pain. "Only when I breathe."

Quickly Patrick reached underneath her right shoulder and supported her weight. He saw the bloodstains on her right calf and knew she couldn't walk for long. "Here, let me take you to the others."

It took them a couple of minutes to hobble back as the other pilots stood up to watch the two approach them. When they made it back Patrick did the introductions in Japanese.

"Everyone, meet Mari Illustrious Makinami. Unit 05's pilot."

Mari was all smiles as the others were quite surprised. "Hello! Delightful morning we're all having, eh?"

Asuka looked at the new girl and did a double-take in recognition. "It's…it's _you_!"  
Mari's eyes were also wide. "_You're_ the German pilot?"

Shinji looked at both of them. "Do you two actually know each other?"

Asuka crossed her arms and smiled as Patrick gently let Mari down on the larger rock. "We met once, a year ago, at the Junior All-European Karate championships. I faced her in the final round."

Mari rubbed her wounded leg. "Quite a good show that was. I almost had you down on the mat then."

Asuka smiled wider. "I'm unbeaten in competition. You nearly spoiled it for me."

Shinji was a little overwhelmed at the new development and without thinking sat down on the rock next to Mari. The British girl looked at him closely, leaning over his face as if looking for something while Shinji had a worried expression on his face as she did so. She then turned to Asuka. "So, is this the Third Child?"

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" she replied.

Mari looked at Shinji's face closely again and then said to Asuka "He looks like a lost puppy!"

Rei looked skyward and then the others noticed the noise of a helicopter that was approaching.

"Is that from it NERV?" Shinji asked the others. "It doesn't look like one of their helicopters."

Both Mari and Patrick saw the red phoenix markings on the gray-painted Blackhawk. "It's Alliance," said Mari. "Here to pick us up, I suppose."

"Who is the Alliance?" asked Asuka.

"They're Vance's father's men," Patrick told her. Asuka and Shinji looked at each other and gulped nervously.

The helicopter rapidly dove in and landed within fifty feet of the group, with green and blue camouflaged soldiers jumping out even before it had landed. Several of the soldiers fanned out around the chopper with weapons pointing outward. Two of them ran towards the group of pilots while another two pulled out a stretcher as the helicopter touched down on the ground.

The lead solder took her helmet off as she ran towards the group, revealing long black hair and an ornamental tattoo on her chin.

"Wellie!" Mari cried out.

Wellington reached the group. "Oh, God! Mari, are you all right?" she said as she embraced her younger charge tightly.

"Hurts a bit, that's all." Mari looked up at Wellington as the officer looked at her wounds. "I went and bombed the EVA," she said mournfully.

"Damn the EVA! You're a mess! We need to get you back." She then said to the others. "The lot of you! To the helicopter, now! This is still a combat zone."

Mari tried to get up on her own but when the two medics arrived they forced her down into the stretcher and carried her to the chopper. Wellington escorted the others, watching behind them to ensure there weren't any JSSDF or other unwanted guests around them. The officer pushed all of the pilots inside and as soon as Mari's stretcher was locked on the floor she jumped on and the helicopter took off.

The pilots all sat together on one row of seats while Wellington and the soldiers sat across from them, with Wellington on the edge next to Mari's stretcher. The loud noise of the helicopter itself prevented any of them from talking, though Wellington put her helmet back on again and she was speaking to the pilot and others as they flew upwards. All of the children just sat there and looked nervously through the windows, not knowing what would happen next.

The Blackhawk lifted high and flew out the opening at the top of the GeoFront. Asuka and Shinji looked out the window and saw the jagged edges of the GeoFront shell protruding outward, with the water from Lake Ashi pouring into the opening and causing a giant waterfall nearly all around the edges. Steam was all over as the smoke from burning aircraft inside the GeoFront combined with the water vapor.

The helicopter flew briefly over the battlefield as plumbs of black smoke and fire could be seen out the windows. There were still many men and machines visible and prowling the field. Rei, seated between Shinji and Patrick and now wrapped in a larger green blanket, sniffed the air. There was an unusually fowl smell that all of them couldn't ignore.

After a short flight the helicopter touched down on what Patrick recognized as NERV's Airfield One, only now it was active with Alliance troops and vehicles (some of which looked like they were commandeered from NERV). Several other helicopters and tilt-rotors were parked on the runways as were Harrier and Thunderbolt VSTOL aircraft. Nearly as soon as they landed the doors opened up and one group of Alliance troops grabbed Mari's stretcher and carried it off. Before anyone could say anything a second group of Alliance crew reached for the pilots out the other doorway, with each one being escorted by the arm and brought to a nearby hanger.

Patrick quickly looked for Rei and saw her being brought into a makeshift room made with tents for walls. As she entered two Alliance guards armed with assault rifles stood by the entrance. Shinji and Asuka were also separated and put into their own rooms, with Asuka protesting loudly at the separation. Patrick tried to break free of his escorts but he was promptly dragged into another room where an Alliance nurse immediately sat him down in a folding chair and started to take his pulse and blood pressure.

The pilot spent the next half an hour being prodded and probed by medical staff. Tired and impatient, Patrick didn't make it easy for the Alliance to examine him and at least two times he had to be held down for others to work on him. Frequent protests about the fate of the other pilots were met with what were to him empty reassurances that they were alright and well cared for.

After a while he was left alone in the tent, although there were also two armed guards at the front as well. Pacing nervously for what seemed like hours he circled the floor until Wellington finally entered.

"What the hell's going on?" Patrick demanded.

"Everything's alright. We're just checking the others out to be sure they're okay."

"What about Rei?"

"The First Child is also being well cared for. Don't worry, you'll see them all later."

"Is Mari OK?"  
Wellington sighed. "Her eye's very bad. She might lose it. They're going to transport her to hospital shortly."

Patrick pounded the air. "Damn!"

The officer waited until Patrick calmed down, her arms folded as he stood in the middle of the room and clenched his fists, his eyes closed in rage. When he finally let his palms go she calmly addressed him.

"Did you wonder why we didn't ask you to take your plug suit off?"

Patrick did, in fact. "You're sending me out there again, aren't you?"

She approached him slowly. "In case you didn't notice, two of those things got away. We need you to at least get the EVA going around there in case they get any ideas about coming back."

The boy clenched his fists again. "No way! I did what I was asked to do, now I'm done!"

Wellington stepped in further and looked at him with cold eyes. "Boy, don't think I don't know a thing or two about EVA pilots and how to handle them. I'm not going to let Mari or anyone else get jeopardized by some insolent brat who throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. Now get back out there!" She promptly shoved him out the door of the tent.


	25. Chapter 24

In one of the GeoFront's maintenance bays two Alliance marines were working as sentries, watching the room's doors while their fellow marines worked on securing the bay. Both of the sentries saw a tall, muscular older Caucasian man walk in from of one of the large cargo doors. He was wearing an olive flight suit, with a bandage around his head and a pistol in his right hand. The marines pointed their rifles at the man as the leader of the two ordered "Halt!"

The man stopped, still holding the pistol but pointing it at the floor. "I'm ZEUS, son."

The marines kept their weapons pointed at him. "Challenge word is Marriage!"

"Annulment!" Vinson responded and the marines lowered their weapons. "Sorry about that, sir," the leader said.

"It's quite alright. Who's in charge here?"

"Sergeant Dewey's our squad leader but there's a colonel down here too!" the marine motioned to the other to run and get the colonel while Vinson looked around the bay. The room had seen a lot of the battle, with holes blasted in the wall and streaks of black smoke all around. The floor was a mess of toppled storage containers and spent rounds.

Along one side of the room one Marine armed with an assault rifle stood watch over three kneeling figures dressed in the black fatigues of JSSDF Special Forces. Each had their hands bound tightly behind them and their helmets and gear removed. The Japanese soldiers were forced to watch as two other Marines neatly laid the bodies of dead NERV personnel in front of their terrified faces. Vinson noted that nearly all of the bodies were of women in their young twenties, most of them with multiple gunshot wounds.

Vinson heard footsteps and looked up to see Colonel Burke followed by Jeff, his radioman.

"ZEUS! You're alive! We heard you went down."

"Damned lucky I was," Vinson replied. "Unfortunately I can't say that for the others with me. How do we stand?"

Burke walked the Admiral down a corridor as he reported, while Jeff followed them from a few steps behind. "Right now we own about maybe less than half of this place, but we have the control center, the hospital, the Western gate and the train sub-station. We're also in the basement levels, including the most critical areas – and" he smiled a little when he said this "we have the NERV commander downstairs as well – alive! We're still running into pockets of Special Forces as we go but it's swinging our way."  
"How about the MAGI?"  
"Also secured."

"Good. Any trouble with NERV personnel?"

As the Admiral spoke they entered a larger room segment and what he saw shocked even him. The floor was laid with dozens of dead bodies, all wearing NERV uniforms. All of them appeared to be non-combat personnel. Both of the officers paused as they saw the bodies and two Alliance soldiers working to clean up.

"God Almighty! What happened here?"

APOLLO had a grave expression on his face. "Intel intercepted orders to JSSDF to eliminate all NERV personnel – no exceptions. We think these people were trying to surrender when this happened."

Vinson slowly looked over the scene. He knew Burke had brought him here deliberately, to convey the seriousness of what had occurred during the battle.

"What else?"

"This is just a small sample," Burke continued. "We're still counting the bodies but I judge the toll is well into the thousands. They had quite a horror show going on until we showed up." The colonel paused a bit and then said "needless to say, our guys are very motivated at this point."

The Alliance commander took a look at the walls of the room and saw they were covered in blood and tissue splatter. At the corners of the walls Vinson saw closed-circuit video camera domes, some still having a tiny LED red light on.

"Are those cameras working?" he asked Burke, pointing to one of them.

"Probably. There's still power to many areas here."

"Find out where the files are stored and get them to Intel and Civil Affairs ASAP. We're going to need this to deal with the locals."

The two officers moved on. "Anything else?" Vinson asked the colonel.

"I have some more good news: we have the enemy Division Commander. He's waiting in the command room."

"Then lead the way."

As they went through more hallways Vinson saw his own men running or patrolling through various areas. In some cases they were guarding enemy soldiers they had found, in other cases going through either dead enemy or dead NERV staff bodies. He saw only one NERV employee still alive, a young Japanese man who looked like a security guard, whose wounds were being attended to by an Alliance medic.

Down one empty hallway Burke asked Vinson quietly, "Sir, what _was_ that thing outside? Was that one of their Angels?"

"I don't know," he replied. "We'll get it all sorted out." He pointed to the armored doorway in front of them, with signs in English and Japanese that read CENTRAL DOGMA. "Is this the command center?" Burke nodded and then they both went in.

The two commanders walked onto the operations deck of Central Dogma and could see the results of the battle for control of the giant room. Of the giant video displays in front only one was still functioning, and then only with visual of the outside of the GeoFront. Other screens were damaged or destroyed and there were blast marks all around. About two squads of Alliance soldiers were spread throughout the lower decks of the room, cataloging dead bodies of three different forces while another squad was on the operations deck and command deck themselves.

Standing on the operations deck were the three NERV controllers. Aoba now had his right arm in a sling while Hyuga had a face bandage from shrapnel wounds he took during the battle. All of them stood with worried expressions on their faces.

On the right side of the deck were two Japanese military officers. One was older with a thin mustache, the other much younger. Their berets had been removed as was their gear and weapons, and they stood with their hands behind their heads. All around the captives were a half-dozen Alliance troops armed with sub-machine guns and rifles. The body of Kozou Futsuyuki still lay on the floor, a blanket covering his face.

Vinson stepped onto the deck and looked at the body on the floor. "Who's that?"

"The Vice Commander," Burke replied. "Killed during the battle."

Without saying anything Vinson carefully walked around the body and studied each of the three controllers, all of whom were very nervous. He then walked over to the JSSDF commander.

"Yamashita," Vinson said. "I knew I smelled your stench in this."

"Admiral Vinson," the Japanese general replied, pulling his hands down as his adjutant did the same. "You're a surprise!" He tried to smile but Vinson just glared at him.

"What the fuck were you doing here?" Vinson demanded.

"Trying to avert a great tragedy – same as you."

"With a massacre?"

The general's voice was quiet and steady, almost nonchalant. "We had received credible reports that NERV was disguising their pilots as base personnel. There was also word that NERV's commander was about to initiate Third Impact on his own, using one of this own Evangelion units. Because of the consequences to the _entire world_ that would arise out of such an action the decision was made to ensure that NERV would be completely eliminated as a threat. As such, we took regrettable but appropriate action."

Vinson chuckled a bit to himself. "Regrettable, huh?"

"Quite."

The Admiral stepped into Yamashita inches from his face. His eyes were wide with fury but he spoke in a low, guttural tone. "You're too cowardly to make this shit your own. Who gave the order for this?"

"The order came directly from the Prime Minister, of course."

"No. Who _really_ gave the order? Who's the one that's on SEELE's committee?"

Now the general was starting to get nervous. "Admiral Vinson," he said with a weak smile. "Don't tell me you've bought into that conspiracy theory about…"

Vinson kept his eyes fixed on the general as he brought up his pistol and put it to the forehead of the adjutant standing next to him. The adjutant trembled in fear as Vinson cocked the hammer.

"Who?" he asked the general again.

The general shifted his eyes to the younger officer and then back to Vinson. "I've really no idea who you're talking about!"

Without blinking Vinson pulled the trigger. There was a loud gunshot, and blood and gray matter splattered both of their faces as the adjutant collapsed downward to the floor. Maya screamed and hid her eyes, as Aoba whispered to Hyuga "Out of the frying pan and into the fire!"

Yamashita looked downward at the younger man's body. "He was my son-in-law."

Vinson shifted the pistol to the general's forehead and screamed in Japanese. "WHAT IS HIS NAME?"

The general closed his eyes and resolved himself. Quietly he said, "Deputy Prime Minister Nakamura." Vinson pulled his pistol away and motion for the soldiers on deck to take the prisoner, telling them "Get this cocksucker out of my sight!"

Two soldiers grabbed the general and rushed him out of the command center. Another two took the body of the now dead adjutant and carried it out as well. Vinson waited until the general was out of the room and then spoke to Burke. "When you got what you need out of him, see to it he's shot while trying to escape."

"Yes, sir." Burke nodded, and then he left the room.

The controllers all shivered in fear as Vinson took a moment to plan out his next move. _We need allies. These three all worked here with the commander, they have to know a lot about this place._ The Admiral holstered his pistol in his shoulder harness and turned to face the three, softening his expression and speaking in simple but understandable Japanese. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Admiral Vinson of the Alliance. How would you three like to find out what your bosses were really up to, huh?"

Prior to going down to Terminal Dogma, Vinson communicated with OLYMPUS via the satellite radio that Jeff was carrying.

"ZEUS!" Sheffield exclaimed upon hearing his friend.

"Don't drink that toast to me just yet, Johnnie."

"You're all right, then?"

"I got hurt in the shoulder and probably a concussion, but I walked away. Unfortunately we lost the other three with the ship."

"I'm quite sorry. We had feared the worst."

"Yeah. Does Maria know?"

"No. I wouldn't have spoken to her without confirmation."

"Good. The less she knows the better. What's our situation right now?"

Within the next few minutes Sheffield updated Vinson on the Alliance's current standing, including news about the status of the EVAs and their pilots. The Alliance had achieved their goal of seizing the GeoFront, but at a horrible cost: nearly fifty percent of their combat air power had been lost in the assault, and nearly as many of the ground troops including most of APOLLO's paratroopers. Most of the JSSDF had either been destroyed on the battlefield or captured after the Giant appeared, with the remainder retreating north towards Nagano. As for SEELE, seven out of nine of the Mass Production EVAs were confirmed destroyed, the other two flying away. GABRIEL (EVA-04) had been redeployed inside of the GeoFront to guard against their return.

There was news on other fronts as well, as Alliance teams had been somewhat successful in either capturing or killing SEELE members in the USA and Europe. Attempts to capture other MAGI systems under SEELE control had failed however, resulting in the destruction of two of the supercomputers. Even so there was much to be glad about: the Alliance had taken its main objectives and had done so with strategic surprise.

The discussion finally turned to the Alliance's highest objective.

"Johnnie did you get a reading on that...thing that appeared?"

"We're calling it an Angel for now, but haven't gotten a full analysis on the data we collected. The initial take from the sensors on our drones was that the giant had a huge electromagnetic signature."

"What about that energy wave?"  
"That's just it. Visual sensors picked it up all over the world but there's no substantial energy reading, as if it was just visible light. Our own physicists are in fits about this as it contradicted just about everything they know about the physical universe."

"Maybe we need theologians, not physicists," Vinson mused.

"Well," Sheffield observed lightly, "if what happened was actually Third Impact it was quite oversold."

"Is Foch on his way yet?" the admiral asked.

"He should be landing about now."

"Make sure he gets over here and have him check out the EVAs and the First Child. Maybe he can give us some answers."

After the call Vinson took the three controllers into the elevator that led to Terminal Dogma. There was one Alliance engineer in the elevator besides them. No one spoke anything on the long trip down.

When the elevator reached Terminal Dogma, the doors opened and everyone exited. Vinson and the three controllers stopped in front and took a look at the dark cavern that surrounded them.

"Have any of you been down here before?" Vinson asked the three.

"No," Aoba replied. "We weren't permitted access."

"I was here once," Maya said softly. "It was scary."

The four of them walked down the dark hallway, illuminated only by a series of LED lights along the floor and ceiling. Occasionally they passed Alliance soldiers who would stop and salute the Admiral and then run in the opposite direction. After what seemed like quite a long walk the hallway opened up to the giant underground cavern where the Second Angel was once held.

They saw a group of men at the edge of the steel dock, one of which was kneeling on the platform and being guarded by the soldiers. While walking towards the group of soldiers and their prisoner Vinson looked at the enormity of the surrounding walls of rock as well as the giant crucifix at the end of the dock. _This was all done truly on biblical proportions_, he thought to himself.

As they came closer to the edge a body was also visible at the dock's edge, draped in a camouflaged jacket. Maya took a closer look. "Sempai?" she said softly.

While the jacket was pulled over the head and upper body, the lower body and legs were visible, her long legs dressed in stockings. The body was wearing a white laboratory coat.

"SEMPAI?" Maya screamed and started to run over to the body. Both Aoba and Hyuga tried to reach for her but she had already escaped their grasp, sprinting over to the edge to see the fallen scientist.

Two soldiers ran to grab Maya before she could reach the body. She struggled mighty against their grip as the other two controllers ran to her.

"SEMPAI! SEMPAI! NO! NO!" she screamed.

"Ibuki!" Aoba shouted, "Get control of yourself!"

"NO! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD! IT'S NOT TRUE!" Maya continued to struggle with the two soldiers until Hyuga and Aoba could reach her and pull her away by the arms.

Vinson motioned to a medic, whispering "get her out of here." The soldier pulled out a syringe and stuck it in Maya's arm. Within a few seconds her outbursts finished and she hung her head low as her body went limp, the sedatives quickly taking effect. Both of the other controllers took her by the arms as the medic led them out.

Watching all of this was Commander Ikari. He was kneeling on the steel platform, his left arm tied behind his back. As Hyuga and Aoba carried Maya away they tried to avoid looking at the commander, who gave them an icy stare.

The Admiral asked the sentry behind Ikari to pull him off the floor so he could stand while he spoke with him. Vinson knew his next discussion would be perhaps be his most critical and he didn't want Ikari to feel humiliated, at least not too much. The guard did as he was ordered and then moved well out of earshot of the two men.

Vinson walked in front of Ikari, who just glared at him. He noted that Ikari now only had one arm, which he thought was strange: recent recon video taken by Alpha had shown Ikari with two.

"Do you know who I am?" ZEUS asked him. Ikari said nothing but didn't look away either. Given as Ikari was the supreme head of NERV, Vinson surmised that he would at least be known to Ikari, either as the former head of NERV-2 security, or as the suspected head of the plot to steal the S2 engine.

"I am part of a group that calls itself The Alliance. Some of us are former NERV people. Others are former UN military, or scientists. All of us have been made very aware of the true nature of the Evangelion Project." Vinson spoke in English slowly and distinctly, to ensure Ikari understood.

"Right now my men are all over this place," the Admiral said as he slowly paced in front of Gendo. "We have control over both of your EVAs. We have in custody all of your EVA pilots, _including_ your son, and we have the MAGI." He waited for Gendo to make any kind of reaction but saw none.

"We would like to know what were you doing with the Angels that you had?" he asked Ikari. "Were you trying to start your own Third Impact?" Again, the commander said nothing.

ZEUS looked on the ground at the severed arm of Rei. "What were you doing with the girl?" Vinson asked.

"It's none of your concern," Gendo finally responded.

"I think that it is. What was it that you were really doing here?"  
Gendo paused for a moment. "Where is Dr. Futsuyuki?"

"He's dead," Vinson told him.

"Then I have nothing further to say," Gendo said without emotion.

Vinson paced a bit more, trying to think of the right way to approach the NERV commander. He stood right next to Gendo, and whispered in his ear.

"You should know we're not the UN and we're not SEELE. We play by our own rules and they're very simple: we can be your best friend, or we can be your worst enemy. The choice is yours."

"Now we know," Vinson continued "that you weren't planning on being a part of what those bastards at SEELE had planned. Otherwise they wouldn't have been in such a hurry to send those flying monkeys of theirs to jump-start everything. We nailed them pretty hard today, but they're still out there. And they will try again, I'm pretty sure."

"I see this place," Vinson looked around him, "and I know you built it. You put the EVA program in motion. It was you who fought off the Angels, and it was also you that stopped us the first time we came out here. You have to be pretty damn strong to do all of this, and I can honestly respect that." The admiral then softened his voice a bit, trying to sound reasonable. "If we're going to be running into SEELE again, if I had my way I'd rather you be on my side."

"I can speak with the others in my group, make them understand that you would really make a better ally than a captive to haul out there for a public show trial. I can get them to look past _whatever_ it is you were planning to do here, and instead work _with_ you on using our combined assets to wipe out these craven bastards once and for all. That is, if you're willing to make the leap."

The admiral took a step back and allowed his eyes to meet with Gendo's. They stood there for a few moments as Ikari silently stared back at him with his dark eyes. Finally the Admiral addressed him again. "Well," he said in a soft tone of voice, "can we make a deal?"

Gendo lowered his head and stared at Ritsuko's dead body for a moment, then met the Admiral's gaze.

"Go to hell."

Vinson shook his head. "Fine." He quickly motioned to the guard to come over who did so, along with an officer. "Please take Dr. Ikari to the _Liberator," _he told both of them. "Tell them to make sure he's kept nice and isolated. Check him carefully before you bring him topside: make sure he doesn't have any electronic items with him, including anything sub-dermal. I wouldn't want him to spring any surprises on you."

He looked at Ikari one more time to see his reaction but he was hard-faced and emotionless, staring out into the distance of the cavern as the two men padded him down carefully. The admiral knew that look: he'd seen in before in the faces of enemies that weren't about to give up. He watched as the former commander was pulled away by the two men and marched to the other end of the platform. What worried Vinson wasn't that Ikari was defiant, rather it was what still made him think he could afford to be.

After watching Gendo being taken from the platform Vinson himself made his way out. He walked to the entryway and asked one of APOLLO's soldiers where Musashi was and was directed to a laboratory a few minutes away.

Vinson entered the Dummy Plug Plant and saw the two Japanese men standing by the LCL tank in the background. He walked up to them and upon getting closer to the tank he saw the fragments of the Rei clones floating about. Vinson watched the pieces flow past for a few moments. Standing next to the tank was Musashi and Kikuchi.

"Were they ever alive?" he asked Musashi, who was still wearing his green and blue Alliance camouflage uniform and body armor.

"Empty shells for a common soul," he replied. "One secret out of many to be revealed."

Vinson looked at the other Japanese man. He was tall, wearing a dark suit that was soiled with blood and smoke. He wore sunglasses but with a crack in one lens. "Are you Alpha?"

"Yes, sir," he said in a gruff voice.

"Thank you for helping us out with getting in here. I do have to ask you one question."

"Of course."

"What happened to the plan? You were supposed to get the pilots out before we showed up."

"Unfortunately the situation presented precluded me doing that. It was enough trouble to keep infiltrators within Section 2 from terminating the pilots."

Vinson's eyebrows went high. "I see."

"Did Commander Ikari take the offer?" Musashi asked the Admiral.

"No. I didn't really expect that he would. We'll put him on ice for a while and see if that changes."

"His determination is quite considerable," Musashi said. "It might take quite a bit of time and effort to convince him."

"At some point it's no longer my problem," Vinson sighed, looking again at the LCL tank. "Well," he said to Musashi, "We did our part. Can you work on the locals?"

"I've already put things in motion," he replied, lighting a cigarette. "Hopefully we can marshal the forces needed to make a change in government."

"Time is critical for that, so I won't hold you further. We can provide you Intel and electronic support. Do you need any of my troops as well?"

"As I mentioned earlier this sort of thing is best as a local affair, but if we were to need the occasional airstrike..."

"Consider it done. Anything else?"

The agent took a long puff from his cigarette. "One of the wounded, she was found at the elevator shaft on top of the EVA cages. If there's any way that she can be saved..."

"Katsuragi, wasn't it?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll see to it she's taken care of." Vinson padded the agent on the shoulder. "Off you go! We'll get it from here."

"Thank you, sir."

"No, thank you...Mr. Kaji."

* * *

Dr. Foch marched into the NERV hospital accompanied by Beatrix. Both were wearing blue and green camouflage uniforms and body armor. They had arrived just minutes before at Airfield One. Along with support crews for the EVAs, they had been traveling in an air transport that had left Australia before the attack wave had even arrived at Tokyo-3.

When the doctor walked into the first level of the hospital, he was greeted by the chaos of medical triage. Scores of wounded from three different forces littered the floor as several Alliance medics and nurses attended to who they could. Foch noticed that he could see two of the NERV medical staff working as well. Once he walked inside, he removed his helmet and an Alliance officer came running up to him.

"Dr. Foch?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I'm Captain Hope. Command said I needed to speak to you."

The captain brought them over to a more quiet hallway in the hospital. On the way there they noticed blast marks and bullet holes all throughout the hospital level: the battle had reached even into this area. Blood smears and some remaining carnage on the floors indicated it had not been pretty.

The officer handed Foch an LED tablet as he explained. "We have the NERV EVA pilots sequestered at the airfield, including the one we're calling 'Subject A.' She's being prepared to take to the _Liberator_."

"Why?" Foch asked. "They won't have the facilities to properly examine her there."

"Then do you want to fly her back to Pine Gap?"

"No. Bring her here," Foch pointed downward, indicating he meant the hospital. "This place has what we need." The captain acknowledged and then ran back down the hallway.

Alone Foch spoke quietly to his assistant. "I want you to look for a Deep-Resolution Photon Scanner or something like it in this hospital. If she's what I think she is, we'll need that to get a full diagnostic on her."

"What are you looking for, doctor?"

"Phase-shift Matter. Find the scanner, hopefully it's intact and not shot up. Once they bring her over do a comprehensive workup on her and let me know the result." Beatrix nodded and then turned to go but Foch stopped her. "Beatrix," he instructed, "don't tell anyone what you find until I see it first. If the admiral or anyone else asks just say everything's inconclusive."

"Yes, sir."

Beatrix then ran off to start her search while Foch looked for the officer again, finding him talking on a communicator issuing orders. The doctor waited until he was finished.

"Yes, Dr. Foch?"

"It will take some time for my assistant to set things up. Are you in need of a surgeon?" he asked.

"We could use one if we had the setup, but look at this place!" the officer pointed at the battle damage visible in the hallway. "Pretty much we're sending everyone that serious back to either _Liberator_ or the carrier _Avenger_."

Without asking Foch grabbed the officer's LED tablet. "Let me see your triage list!" After a minute he scanned the list and saw the complete situation.

"25-30 year old Japanese female, NERV. GSW wound to abdomen," Foch read off the tablet. "Who's this?"

"She's priority, sir, per command."

"And you're going to send her offshore?"

"We don't have the facilities here to work on her."  
Foch shook his head. "Nonsense. This is a hospital, isn't it? If you send her to _Liberator_ she'll be dead before they land."

"Then how do we…"

"Don't tell me they don't have operating rooms here!" Foch said impatiently.

The captain paused for a moment in embarrassment. "I was told that there were a couple of rooms up on the seventh floor that weren't in too bad of shape. But they have to be sanitized first! Plus we don't know where they keep all of their equipment and utensils!"

"No time," the doctor said as he grabbed his rucksack and fished out his medical tools. "Get me a nurse that can follow orders and start lining up the most critical patients. I'll see what I can do."

* * *

For several hours Shinji was examined by a number of Alliance personnel and then left waiting in a temporary room at the airfield hanger wearing nothing but a medical gown. Most of the Alliance people didn't speak much Japanese and he didn't speak nearly any English, so it was hard for him to understand what was going on.

At some point Shinji decided to see if he could leave the tent-walled room and walked outside. There were two armed guards standing next to the walls who looked at him but said nothing. When he took a few steps forward one of the guards motioned to him to stay put, but there was no attempt to push him back into the tent.

While he watched the bustling activity inside the hangar he saw Asuka walk out of an adjacent tent. She was smiling and chatty with a female Alliance solder who Shinji thought might be a nurse. Unlike him, Asuka had managed to acquire a tee-shirt and camouflage pants and walked on slippers. Upon seeing Shinji she said bye to the nurse and hopped over where Shinji was standing, apparently in a good mood.

"Where have you been?" he asked her.

"Trying to find out what the hell's going on," she whispered back, her expression suddenly serious.

The two of them looked around to see if they were being overheard and saw only the guards next to Shinji's tent. They lowered their voices and caught up with each other.

"Where's Ayanami?" Shinji asked Asuka.

"They took her away in a helicopter about twenty minutes ago. That's what that soldier said. I don't know where she went."

"What about all these other people?"

"They're mostly ex-UN military, some are from NERV. The woman I got this from," she motioned to her newly acquired uniform, "is from Denmark but she worked at Third Branch in Germany. She knew who I was from there."

"What about Patrick?"

"EVA-04's back at the GeoFront. They're worried those things might come back."

Shinji sighed. "What are they going to do with us?"

Asuka folded her arms. "That I don't know. We're EVA pilots so hopefully we're important enough to take good care of."

The boy kept looking at all of the different people in the hanger. Most of them were Caucasian by appearance, a few Asians, and some other darker-skinned people. He had never seen so many foreigners all at once. Shinji asked Asuka "Were they trying to stop Third Impact?"

"That was the plan. They were trying to get to the GeoFront before the JSSDF did." She then spoke in a more serious tone. "There's something else, too."

"What?"  
"The Japanese government gave orders to all of their army units: kill everyone at NERV, no exceptions!"

"Everyone?"

She nodded, and then pointed at the far end of the hanger. There was a large stack of black vinyl bags about two meters in length, perhaps a hundred or more. Shinji knew what they were and said nothing. Asuka continued. "She says we were incredibly lucky to get out alive."

"Maybe it wasn't luck," Shinji responded, his hands clutching Misato's cross around his neck.

"Anyway," Asuka said, brushing her hair back with her hands. "I'm starving! Is there anything here to eat?"

"You're hungry at a time like this?" Shinji exclaimed.

"Hey, I haven't had a real meal in days. I was still in a hospital bed this morning, you know! At least if these people are in charge now I won't have to eat white rice every day!" She started to look around trying to find something that looked like chow, but Shinji was distracted by something he saw by the hanger doorway.

Guarded on all sides by Alliance soldiers, Shinji saw his father standing the doorway. His jacket was removed, as were his glasses. His left arm was bound behind his back, his hand tied to a thick leather belt wrapped around his waist. The right sleeve of his turtleneck shirt dangled.

Feeling the weight of Shinji's stare, Gendo slowly turned his head towards him. The expression on his face was hard, his eyes narrowing at Shinji. The boy's breathing became more shallow and he felt frozen in position as fear gripped him. The commander didn't want to be seen by anyone as broken as he was now, and especially not by his son.

"Father," Shinji said quietly as Asuka turned back to him. She too saw the commander by the hangar doors.

"What happened to his arm?" she asked him.

"I don't know" he replied, still unmoving.

Four soldiers led Ikari out the hanger doors and to the runway where a large Osprey was waiting, its rotors spinning up. The commander turned his head to face Shinji as the men marched him out. Shinji wanted to say something but he couldn't, and didn't know if he should be sad that his father was a prisoner, or happy that he was finally, hopefully out of his life. Instead he just stood there and watched as the men marched his father up the rear ramp of the tilt-rotor. As the ramp closed Gendo was seated inside and kept his glare on Shinji until the ramp shut tight. Shinji then closed his eyes and sighed in great relief.


	26. Chapter 25

Patrick spent the next few hours patrolling the insides of the GeoFront in EVA-04. That had proved anti-climatic as the Mass Production EVAs never returned. Basically he walked the grounds of the now devastated interior of NERVs base, scouting the wreckage of dead EVAs, JSSDF and Alliance aircraft, and whatever else had crashed and burned inside. Despite the enormity of the battle much of the interior of the GeoFront still had its trees and foliage, and the lake was still there albeit polluted with LCL leaking from the Harpies. While he was marching across the grounds he also noticed that the water flow along the broken-apart opening at the top was also beginning to subside as Lake Ashi started to level off.

With all of the quiet his mind had gone numb and he just followed whatever orders Wellington gave him. The only period of excitement was when in pulling up a destroyed JSSDF helicopter EVA-04 uncovered the remaining members of a rifle squad hiding in the wreckage. Fortunately upon seeing the forty-meter tall Evangelion the four soldiers immediately surrendered and Patrick stood by as the genuinely terrified men waited for Alliance troops to pick them up.

Wellington finally pulled him out of the field in the late afternoon. Initially he started to walk the EVA back to the cages but he was directed to just kneel her down instead: there was still bakelite all over the interior of the GeoFront so technicians couldn't operate the cage system (and in fact the few Alliance EVA technicians present couldn't operate much of anything). After exiting his entry plug Patrick was directed to go somewhere inside the GeoFront command offices, and was escorted by two soldiers.

The pilot was brought to a large, dark room with intricate drawings on it's black granite floor. The nameplate on the side said simply "COMMANDER'S OFFICE." The two soldiers stood outside the door as he walked inside.

Standing by a lone desk at the far end of the room was Admiral Vinson. He was still wearing his flight suit but now had his left arm in a sling, the result of a broken collarbone suffered in his aircraft's crash. He looked outside the large bay windows in the office, surveying the damage in the command and control room. He noticed Patrick walking towards him and turned to face him from the desk.

"Does that suit fit you, son?" Vinson asked him. Patrick was still wearing the black and red plug suit that had been Vance's.

"It did today, sir," Patrick replied.

Vinson turned away and again looked out the windows at nothing in particular. His face was strained. "We never got the chance to say goodbye."

Patrick walked closer to the admiral. "Sir?"

"A few months ago, during the first time we assaulted this place, they said that I shouldn't go along. It would be too much pressure on Vance, having to perform like that with his old man watching over his shoulder. But," his voice became more quiet, "things happened and I blamed myself for a long time after that."

He walked away from the window and towards the young pilot. "I guess it won't surprise you that you were the last person in the world I wanted to see come out of that plug when we got Unit-04 back."

Patrick smiled nervously. "I kind of got that impression."

"He talked a lot about you," Vinson told him. "He was an only child so I think he really like having a brother he could be with, even if was only for a short while."

"The feeling was mutual," Patrick said quietly.

Vinson looked at the floor, his face grimacing slightly. "When we found out it was your father that betrayed us, I thought that you were a part of that, and that your friendship with Vance was part of the trap. It of course had never occurred to me that you were screwed over just like the rest of us."

"I realize now that," the admiral looked at Patrick sadly, "you wouldn't have done what you did today if you hadn't cared for him very deeply."

Now it was Patrick's turn to look away. "It was the least I could do," Patrick told him. "I think he'd want me to finish what he started. Only this time things worked out the way it should have."

Vinson walked over to Patrick and put his free hand on the boy's shoulder. Patrick turned his head and saw the admiral with a broken smile on his face. "I got to see my son one more time today," the admiral told him, "thanks to you."

Patrick wanted to say "you're welcome" but he couldn't do it as he was too choked up. So the two silently stood there for a while until Vinson let go of him and walked back to the window. Forrestal stood next to him. "What happens now?"

"We won a battle today but not the war," Vinson replied. "Those old men are still out there, bloodied but not beaten." He sighed deeply as he looked out the windows. "They won't let go of a dream like this so easily."

"So now we keep fighting. Not against EVA, but now for it, and EVA becomes our best tool to bring peace to this conflicted world."

Vinson allowed himself a smile. "I used to hate EVA, until I understood what EVA was. Now that I know the truth, I understand what a gift we've just been given. Humanity has a second chance, and I don't intend to blow it." He looked at the boy. "We got here thanks to you. If there's anything you need..."

"I just want to be with my friends," Patrick said.

"They're in the hospital now. You can go see them as soon as you want."

"Thanks, admiral!"

"Of course."

"There is one other thing, though," Patrick said.

"Your twin sister."

"Yes, sir."

"Johnny's been working on that since we recovered Unit 04. If she's out there we'll find her for you."

Patrick breathed a little easier. "Thank you, sir."

Vinson looked sternly at him. "Go get yourself cleaned up. You look like hell!"

Patrick thanked him again and hurried out of the room, his thoughts now turning to more pleasant things. Vinson watched him go out and then picked up his satellite phone to dial someone. On the first ring she answered.

"It's me," he said softly. Listening to the other he said in response. "I'm all right, just a little banged up. We got most of what we came for but I might be here for a while." The voice spoke to him again, asking about someone else. "The boy is fine," he replied. "He did well. Our Vance would be proud."

After seeing Admiral Vinson Patrick made his way to the NERV hospital. It was still chaos as the Alliance medical staff was doing what it could with the large volume of casualties it had. Once he was identified as an EVA pilot however Patrick was whisked away to the top floor of the building, still accompanied by the same two soldiers.

The top floor of the NERV hospital was reserved strictly for "high value subjects" which meant EVA pilots. When he arrived he asked the nurse about the others and she told him that Shinji and Asuka were being checked in, and Mari was in surgery. Rei was still in an examination room. The nurse clipped on a wristband that was red in color, signifying his status, and then he was sent to clean up after being examined yet again. As he was being processed by the others he noticed that there were as many armed guards on the floor as there were medical staff. The staff itself was drawn entirely from the Alliance.

Once he had a shower fatigue finally caught up to him and he dragged himself out, finding fresh clothes outside. He threw on a light blue scrubs shirt and pants and slid on slippers that were on the floor. Patrick wondered outside of the room and stumbled down the hallway. He noticed several doors were locked but found one doorway that was wide open, with two sentries posted at either side. He couldn't see who was inside the room but he showed his red wristband to the guards, who then allowed him to go inside. Sitting on the single hospital bed inside the room, and leaning against a pillow with her knees bent underneath the sheets, was Rei. She was, of course, reading.

She looked up at Patrick in surprise as he walked in. "Forrestal-kun!"

"Hi, there." At that moment he was very, very glad to see her face. He found a chair and dragged it next to her bed, and then plopped himself on it.

"You look very tired," she said.

"I don't think I've slept in about three days."

"Are you alright?"  
"Am _I_ alright? What about you?"

Rei felt her left arm with her other hand while squeezing her left palm. "I think so."

Patrick leaned back in the chair, as sleep began to slowly beckon. "Where did you go after we got to the airfield?"

"Some medical people looked at me, and then I was brought here for further examination. It wasn't until 30 minutes ago that I was placed in this room."

"I imagine everyone wants answers as to what happened…"

"All they have to do is just ask," she replied. Patrick heard that and suddenly started laughing.

"What is funny?" Rei asked him.

"You. This is all so simple to you."

She smiled to herself a little. "They're looking in the wrong place," she said quietly. "What happened has nothing to do with my body, but they do not understand it."

The boy thought that he did understand. "You can't measure the soul with a sensor," he said to her, now leaning on the bed. "But hearts can measure other hearts, if they're willing to try." She nodded in affirmation.

"Then as far as I'm concerned it doesn't really matter what happened. As long as you're here in the end I'm totally okay with it."

Patrick tried to fight off the drowsiness that was overtaking him but it was a losing battle. "Did you see Shinji and Asuka?"

"Ikari-kun was here a few minutes ago. He's gone to sleep now."

"He had a pretty crappy day, too. Can't imagine having to go through all of that in one day." He gave out a big yawn and looked at her blearily-eyed. The world was cruel: finally the object of his desire was right there in front of him and all he could do was sleep.

"May I ask you a favor?" He said. Rei didn't reply but looked at him inquisitively.

"Can I sleep here tonight? Because I am really tired." She nodded and Patrick immediately collapsed on the bed, his head next to her right hand.

As sleep took him away he looked at her, mumbling "I usually don't sleep very well."

"You will tonight," she softly replied.

Rei watched as Patrick drifted away. Falling into slumber his face relaxed and his breathing became soft. To her he looked childlike as he slept, as if the four-year old boy in him had come out while the other half dreamed away.

_He has a beautiful face._

Hesitantly she lifted her hand and gently touched his hair. He stirred just a little but didn't wake up. As he slept she softly caressed his head as her thoughts drifted, wondering what was possible in the world after all.

* * *

Two doors down the hallway, Shinji Ikari lie in bed curled up on his side. After a shower he had found Rei and visited with her, then withdrew himself to the room he was given. His mind and body were numb, the events of the day rushing through his brain like a freight train. He had almost died, multiple times. He had even wanted to die, giving himself up to the evil EVAs and hoping it would be quick and over with. Instead he had nearly triggered Third Impact himself.

It was that rage inside of him, of feeling that it was all for nothing, that finally brought him out. He remembered being let go by the blast and the explosion of emotion that occurred as he reached the ground. He remembered the horror of killing things with his hands one more time.

Now as his spirit tried to recover, he kept thinking of Misato and the elevator. How she kissed him and then pushed him inside. Was that how she really felt about him, all this time? But now she was gone too. He pictured the scene over and over, feeling her lips against his. He wished he had been a man then, and maybe she'd still be alive.

It was a strange feeling he had now. Misato was gone, as well was his father, although his father was now taken away under circumstances he had never expected. He didn't know what to feel about his father being someone's prisoner: should he be happy, relieved, or sad that he had been captured and humiliated like that.

_Screw him,_ he thought. _He deserved that. He deserves worse._

But Rei was still alive, and for that he could allow himself some happiness. Not only was she alive, but she was _alive_. The stoic, unemotional Ayanami that he always knew had wrapped her arms around him and cried like the little girl she probably really was inside. It had felt good to hold her.

And then the American boy was there too. What a surprise that was! Shinji had nearly forgotten about Patrick Forrestal, their short time together was but a footnote in the battles with the Angels. But he had returned from the grave, and at the absolutely last moment.

Somehow good things managed to come out of all of this. Perhaps this was what Misato was trying to show him.

However he was now on his own. Without his father, and without Misato, he was without either legal parent or guardian. He had fallen into the hands of this group of very well armed _gaijin _who treated him well, but wasn't about to be let out of their sight. What his fate was now he just couldn't tell. _At least Asuka seems to be adapting. _

Behind him he heard the door slide open. A moment later the door slid shut and there was a thud on the bed.

He felt someone leaning against his back and heard breathing noises. The breathing wasn't easy, it was labored and difficult. Shinji just lay there and listened to the sound of the other until she spoke.

"Shinji..." Asuka whispered. Her voice was very emotional as she sounded like she was holding back a flood of rage.

"Yeah?"

"What ever happens next, do not look at me!"

"Asuka, what..."  
"You hear me?" she snarled. "If you dare look at me, I'll _kill_ you!"

"Okay," Shinji sheepishly said.

As Shinji kept his back to Asuka he heard the sounds of breathing become more and more intense until finally she broke loose. Muffling her screams against his pillow, she started to violently pound her fists into Shinji's back.

Shinji silently endured the pain as she pounded away at him for several minutes, pouring all of her anger into his body. Then the fists subsided and he felt her hands against his back again, and then he heard the crying.

He had never heard Asuka cry like this before. It was just something she didn't do. If upset, she would get furious with him, or she would be fake and smile and pretend nothing was wrong. Tonight however she was letting her feelings out, something he had only seen while she had slept and never like this kind of torrent.

The crying sounds tapered off and after another minute Shinji started to very carefully turn himself around.

"Asuka..."

Before he could move far she shouted at him "Don't you dare look at me!"

"Okay, okay!"

The tears began anew as she clutched the fabric of his shirt and buried her face in his shoulder. He knew why now as well. Like him, she had nearly died today. Worse, she had to sit there in her EVA in frozen humiliation while the other pilots worked to plug her power back in. She had called for him to come out and fight, and tired and scared he hadn't come at first. So now she was punishing him: partly for his earlier abandonment of her, and also partly for saving her life later on.

The sobs tapered off again and Shinji felt her hands move around his waist, her head leaning against his shoulder. Saying nothing he held her hands in his and they both finally drifted to sleep.


	27. Chapter 26

As the battles around the GeoFront and Tokyo-3 wound down there was still action in the skies over Japan, as the remaining portion of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force and the Alliance's small air wing still tackled each other in an effort to gain air supremacy over the Kanto plain.

The Alliance's plan didn't end at Tokyo-3, and the next phase was launched that evening. Orbiting over the island of Honshu in a circular pattern and escorted by Alliance fighters, a heavily modified transport aircraft filled with radio, television, and other electronic transmitters began broadcasting on nearly every frequency within Japan itself. Technicians inside the aircraft worked to put their message on as many television screens, radio sets, and even web sites as they could.

The program was short, only twelve minutes long, but what it showed packed an emotional punch. The audio was provided by the wife of one of the Alliance's officers, who many years before had been a reporter for the NHK Japanese broadcasting service. She spoke in perfectly clear Japanese to her intended audience.

"As many of you have long suspected, both the United Nations and your own government have lied to you about the true nature of the Evangelion Project and Second Impact."

While she spoke, the video portion showed camera footage of the battle inside and around the GeoFront. Columns of black-clad soldiers raced inside the fortress with rifles, shooting at anyone they saw.

"In a clumsy attempt to cover up the evidence, early this morning the Japanese government in Tokyo-2 launched an all-out attack on the NERV organization. Soldiers were given orders to kill everyone inside, including unarmed civilians..."

The video cut to a portion where a group of NERV staffers holding their hands in the air were all cut down by automatic fire. It was highly graphic, and meant to be so.

"Even nuclear weapons were used on the facility in an attempt to destroy it before the truth could come out..."

Video screens all over Japan displayed the blast of the N2 against the GeoFront's top layer. People in their homes, on street-corners, restaurants and bars, or working late in their offices stopped what they were doing and watched whatever television or computer screen that carried the transmission, sometimes switching channels or portals when the government managed to jam the broadcast.

"A few of us who know the truth have now banded together to intervene and stop this madness. In doing so we have averted an even worse disaster..."

The video program didn't hold back. Interlaced with the battle scenes were images of the EVAs, both from NERV and SEELE, fighting each other in the GeoFront. The existence of the Evangelions had been long rumored, and heavily suppressed by both Japan and the UN. Now they were exposed for all to see.

"We seek no harm to the Japanese people. You have a right to know the truth about the disaster in Antarctica in 1999, and what has happened in the last few months in and around Japan. Don't let the regime in Tokyo-2 hide the real story. As citizens of the most prominent nation on Earth demand your rights!..."

* * *

It wasn't until the following morning when the complete scale of the damage caused the day before was fully realized. While there were still pockets of JSSDF troops hidden in parts of the GeoFront, the Alliance had managed to clear most of the underground portions of hostiles. The ugly parts were becoming more apparent as more and more NERV casualties were being discovered, often being killed in unpleasant ways such as flamethrowers.

The Alliance had only a handful of people who were truly experienced with EVA operations. Some were survivors of the American NERV program who managed not to disappear with Second Branch or were killed during the failed Unit 03 activation in Japan. Others were defectors from Third Branch from Germany, and nearly half were from Sheffield's NERV UK operation. All told the total number of technicians, scientists, and ground crews numbered less than a hundred, and included two planeloads from Australia that had landed the afternoon before. Now those few were hard-pressed to maintain the three functional EVAs the Alliance found itself in possession of. It was particularly difficult as much of the GeoFront was still blocked with bakelite and the crane system used to move the EVAs without their pilots was not functional. As a result the EVAs were just left where they were stopped in the GeoFront, while a very busy support staff attempted to diagnose each unit and determine what needed repair and recovery.

Standing in the open space of the GeoFront was Dr. Viraat, NERV UK's former scientific director. He was slowly walking astride a mess of green and silver-painted parts that had once belonged to Unit 05. The scientist used a hand-held scanner and searched carefully for something very critical.

"Dr. Viraat!" He turned around and saw one of the ground crew, an older man with a Scottish accent. "Yes?"

"What do you want us to do with the NERV EVAs?"

"Use the field kit and plug it in the red one first. That one doesn't have a S2 engine, it will need more work than the others."

The technician turned and jogged towards a group of men unloading crates from a helicopter while Dr. Viraat continued his scanning. When he approached another group of wreckage from Unit 05, his hand-held unit suddenly went active.

He walked right next to the wrecked and checked his scanner carefully, wanting not to get his hopes up. After a minute of confirmation he allowed himself a smile, as the scanner's display lit up in a series of green lights.

_We still have an active core_, the scientist thought to himself. _Now how to go about rebuilding her?_

Viraat looked around him and saw the bodies of the Mass Production series strewn across yesterday's battlefield, and it didn't take him more than a minute to formulate the plan in his head. He pulled out a radio and spoke into it.

"Wellington, this is Viraat. Does NERV have any refrigeration units?"

A very harried voice replied. "Don't know. It's still a hell of a mess down here."

"Try to find out, my dear. I'd like to keep the Mass production series on ice if I can. I might need them later."

* * *

That morning Rei Ayanami found herself again inside of a large medical scanning unit elsewhere in the NERV hospital. Wearing just her panties she lay face up on a plastic sliding board with the hulking contraption spinning around her. It was a familiar place for her, having spent many times in the same scanner in the last few months.

Watching her on the other side of the plexiglass sat Dr. Foch, who familiarized himself with the operations of the scanner. Once he was ready he turned on the speaker.

"_Bon jour, Mademoiselle_," he said. "I am Doctor Bernard Foch, and I have been waiting my whole life to meet you. Please bear with us for the while, as we'd very much like to know what you're made of." With that he started the scan sequence and the sliding board moved Rei into position.

_The questions are still the same_, Rei mused. _Just the people asking them are different._

Shinji woke up on the hospital bed alone. Getting out of bed there was no sign of Asuka, so he shuffled to the bathroom and cleaned himself up. After meeting his personal hygiene needs he then walked out of the room and into the hallway, still dressed in oversized medical scrubs given to him the day before.

Walking down the hallway to meet him was Patrick, now dressed in an orange plug suit. Patrick seemed like he was in a hurry.

"Good morning!" Shinji said to him in Japanese.

"Hey, good morning! Sleep well?"

"Not really."

Patrick chuckled a little. "Of course."

"Did you see where Asuka went?"

"No," Patrick replied. "They took Rei earlier this morning. More tests, I guess."

"I see," Shinji said. "Um, do you know what...what we do now?"

"I don't, not for you anyway. As for me," he motioned to his plug suit. "I'm back in the unit today, cleaning up the mess we made yesterday."

"Okay. Good luck, then."

"Thanks. Hopefully no trouble today. See ya!" and Patrick left towards the elevators. On the way inside the car he bumped into Asuka who was walking out. She gave him an earful but the doors shut before he could reply back.

Asuka shook off the incident and then saw Shinji in the hallway. She walked right to him smiling and carrying a duffel bag over her shoulder while holding two green packages under her arm. She was also now wearing her blue and white school uniform.

"Good morning, Baka Shinji!" she said cheerfully.

"Good morning. How did you get your clothes back?"

"I _persuaded_ the guards to let me go back to the pilot lockers," she winked. "Here." Asuka handed Shinji the bag. "I got your stuff, too."

"How did you open the combination lock?" he asked.

"_Baka! _I had it months ago." She turned him around by his shoulders and shoved him back into the room. "Go and get changed."

Shinji did as he was told and came out five minutes later in his own school uniform. When he came out Asuka handed him a sealed green plastic bag.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Breakfast."

He looked at the labeling which was in English. "Um, Meal Ready to Eat? What is it?"

"Don't tell me you never had one before?" She ripped open the bag and spilled its contents on a small table in the hallway. Shinji looked at the various sealed containers and tried to look for something familiar.

"There's no rice in here," he told her.

"Hey, I had to flirt with two guards to get that! At least show some appreciation!"

"What are Swedish Meatballs?"

Asuka lost her patience and quickly ripped open the rest of the contents to show him. If he had any appetite that morning, he had lost it by now.

"You're supposed to eat that?" he said, looking at the prefabricated food.

"Ugh!" she screamed. "You're impossible sometimes!"

Shinji didn't mind the abuse, and gave her a little smile as she went into a tirade. _I'm so glad you're back!_

_

* * *

_

The first thing she felt when she woke up was the breathing tube. Reflexively she tried to swallow but there was a dull pain in her throat. Slowly she recovered out of the darkness, closing her eyes but listening to the sounds of the room: beeps from electronic monitors, the respirator's back and forth chug, and the voices and footsteps of people just outside.

She opened her eyes slowly and saw a Caucasian woman with blonde hair tied in a bun, wearing not a NERV uniform but a camouflage one of green and blue. The nurse saw that she was waking up and tried asking her questions. She spoke in English however, and Misato was slow to respond.

The nurse put a writing pad and a pencil by Misato's right hand and she slowly grabbed the pen, writing "where" in Japanese. Grabbing the sheet, the nurse went to the corridor.

"She's waking up. I need someone who can read Japanese," she requested.

A man's voice was heard. "I think I can do that."

Misato closed her eyes again and tried to rebuild everything in her mind. It was slow to recall, the last thing she remembered was being in the elevator shaft with Shinji. What had happened? She felt the large wrap of bandages across her waist and then knew. She was shot, and then something else afterward that was very faint.

She tried to take a deep breath and gather strength. Flicking her eyes open, Misato saw the room she was in was at the NERV hospital. Leaning against the railing of her hospital bed was a Japanese man in his late twenties, with a strong jaw and inviting eyes. Eyes that she knew very well. He was smiling at her.

Misato gurgled as she tried to speak but Kaji squeezed her hand, shaking his head and pointing to his own mouth. She nodded, knowing she would be unable to talk. Instead she took the writing pad and started writing.

_Hair_

Kaji picked up the note and felt his head with his left hand. In keeping with the identity of "Musashi" he had cut off his trademark ponytail and kept his hair cut short. "A necessary evil. For a while I wasn't sure who I could trust."

Misato smiled at him and scribbled again.

_Got Your Note._

He saw the note and smiled again. "Yoshi told me you put him to good use."

Her mind finally started to click into place. She wrote again on the pad.

_What happened?_

"Yoshi got me out and introduced me to some of his friends. Friends who weren't took happy about the possibility of Third Impact. Fortunately we were able to interrupt things before they got too out of hand."

_Pilots?_

"All safe. All three of them." Misato closed her eyes and allowed herself a deep sigh of relief.

_NERV?_

"Not good. The JSSDF penetrated nearly the whole GeoFront and killed many before being pushed back."

Misato tried to think of what was the most critical thing to ask, as a million questions now bubbled up in her mind.

_Nurse doesn't read Japanese._

"My new friends in the Alliance are largely from America and Europe. Some are former NERV, most are former UN in some way. There's more to tell, but I'll save it for when you're ready."

_Ritsu?_

Kaji paused at that and just looked at Misato. He didn't have to say anything, she knew it from the look in his eyes. She turned her head away and looked at the bed railing for a while. _I'll cry later,_ she thought to herself.

_EVA?_

Kaji allowed himself to smile again. "Still around." He held up fingers as he spoke. "One, Two and...Four."

_Unit 04?_

"Correct." Misato's eyes went wide.

_American boy?_

Kaji nodded. Misato started to scribble furiously but Kaji stayed her hand. "They don't know what happened, only that they found them back in Nevada a couple of weeks ago." He took the pen out of her hand. "Please, just rest. There's a lot more so save your strength." He then took her hand and squeezed it gently, looking at her. She sighed again and allowed herself to smile.

"I finally got you to shut up," Kaji told her softly and her smile went wider. He caressed her face and she brought up her other hand to meet his. She picked up the pen again.

_So scared lost you_

"Me too. Sorry to scare you like that." The two just sat for a while, happy to be back in each others company. Kaji gulped hard and fought back tears but Misato didn't. He looked away for a moment and then back at her. "I think I made you a promise, didn't I?" She nodded smiling and crying at the same time.

_Sure did, asshole!_

Kaji was about to lean over to kiss her when they heard voices from the corridor, very familiar ones. Misato's eyes went wide in recognition as Kaji leaned back. "It seems we have company!"

"So when do you think they'll be done with Ayanami?"  
"How would I know? She probably loves all the attention. Here's the room. I wonder why that Section Two guy wanted us to go down here, anyway. It's just a..."

Misato and Kaji looked at the doorway and saw the two pilots stop suddenly, holding each other's hand. Both of them smiled at the children as they came in. It took Shinji and Asuka about twenty seconds to actually do something other than stare in complete shock.

Asuka screamed at the top of her lungs "KAJI!" She let go of Shinji's hand and bounded towards Kaji, leaping literally half-way across the room. The redhead flung her arms around him as he caught her in flight.

"I KNEW IT!" she cried happily. "I KNEW YOU WERENT' DEAD!"

"I'm not so easy to get rid of," Kaji told her as she wrapped her legs around him.

Asuka squeezed him tightly, held his face with both of her small hands and kissed him square on the lips. This brought a surprised reaction from Misato but Kaji just looked at her and shrugged. The girl squeezed him hard again, nearly afraid to let go.

"They said you fought off the Mass Production EVAs all by yourself!" said the agent.

"That's right!" Asuka replied buoyantly. "All nine of them! I was _so_ scared! But I beat them all! Well, almost."

"That you're here now is good enough." he said with a big smile.

Shinji watched Asuka's reunion and then looked at Misato in disbelief. He really didn't believe it was her at first, but she tilted her head and smiled at him and then he knew it was okay. Everything was going to be really okay from now on, he felt.

The boy ran up to her on the hospital bed and said simply "Misato-san!" She reached up with her right hand and felt his cheek and he held her hand with his own. Both were crying and smiling at each other and at every one else.

"Oh," Shinji said, trying to calm himself down a bit. "I guess I should give this back to you." He reached into collar to pull out the cross necklace that Misato gave him, but she put her hand on his and shook her head. She quickly wrote down on the notepad. _You keep it. Don't need it. _ He read the note and squeezed the cross tightly, nodding at her happily and holding her hand tight with his other hand.

Yesterday was the worst day in Shinji's life. Today was the best one.

After the reunion the four talked with each other for bit and caught up on the others for about twenty minutes, with Shinji and Asuka filling in Misato on what happened with Rei and what they knew about Patrick and the "mysterious" British girl pilot (as Shinji described her). Before too long a nurse came in and whisked away everyone to check on Misato. Kaji also then made his leave, promising to see them as soon as possible.

Still heavily sedated, she slept for a while until a nurse again entered to check on her. A moment later a physician appeared, a short balding European man with a large mustache who spoke to her in French-accented English and after doing a cursory check removed the breathing tube. The removal was painful but Misato was much relieved afterward. A few minutes after the physician left the room she received two more visitors.

"Major!" Hyuga shouted as both he and Aoba ran into the room.

"Hey, guys!" Misato said as she tried to prop herself up out of bed. With less medication the pain was now much more noticeable to her.

Both of the controllers grabbed chairs and sat next to her. "You're the first people I'm actually able to talk to," she said as they sat down.

"You don't know how glad we are to see you!" Hyuga replied, the relief clearly visible in his face.

She straightened herself up as much as she could, trying to at least be a little commanding. "Where do we stand right now?"

"The Alliance has taken over the whole GeoFront. You _do_ know who they are, don't you?" Aoba asked.

"I got a very short version already, and I've seen the Second and Third Children here, so I know some of the story. It seems like the whole world changed while I was away."

"That wouldn't be an exaggeration," Aoba said. "Did they tell you about the Angel anomaly?"

"The pilots gave me their version. They said it was the First Child."

"They may be correct," Aoba said. "We scanned it in Central Dogma and the results came back 'human', not 'angel.' But the Alliance is calling it an Angel at this point."

"Then let them think that way," she said. "It's probably good if they don't know too much. Who's in charge?"

The two officers looked at each other. "You, apparently," Hyuga replied. "Commander Ikari is under arrest and is being held off-shore, and the Vice Commander and Dr. Akagi are…"  
"Dead," Misato finished.

"Correct. There's no other department heads alive, either. You're ranking officer for NERV right now."

"Is there a NERV _left_?" Misato asked.

"The exterior fortress system is 98% damaged," Aoba reported. "The GeoFront itself sustained massive damage, including having the top shell penetrated by a JSSDF N2. Lake Ashi then flooded the interior. There's parts inside that look more like a swamp!"

"How many casualties?"

Both of them paused for a bit. "Nearly seven thousand confirmed dead, perhaps another six hundred remaining wounded or not," Hyuga said. "Most were killed by JSSDF special forces when they came inside. They were executing everyone."

All three of them were quiet for a while as the impact of Hyuga's last statement drove deep. "We gave them orders to surrender," Misato finally said.

"You can't blame yourself," Hyuga said. "This was extreme by any standard!"

"I know, but," she sighed, "had we known what they were doing earlier many might have stood a better chance." It was survivor's guilt, Misato knew, but it was guilt nonetheless. "What about the MAGI?"

"Still operational," Aoba said, "but no access to the core data. It's been locked with a 1 megabit encryption key."

"But the lights are still on," Misato observed as she pointed to the ceiling. "They could just as easily shut this whole place down, now that it's been overrun."

"We don't know why," Aoba answered, shaking his head. "We tried to get Maya to access the system but she's, well, beyond her limit at this point."

"I suppose so. Where is she now?"  
"Somewhere back in the hospital," Hyuga told Misato. "She was sedated for a while then demanded to go to Dr. Akagi's office to get something. After that she returned here."

"Then we can't count on her," Misato concluded. "Are you two cooperating with the Alliance?"

Aoba pointed at Hyuga. "It was his idea!" Misato raised her eyebrows and looked at him.

"At least they're not trying to kill us!" Hyuga said.

"You mean _yet_," Aoba commented.

Hyuga himself was defensive. "Look, I don't think they're trying to start Third Impact or anything, which is more than I can for the UN or even the commander! Like it or not they saved our asses!"

"And I'm sure there's going to be a hefty price to pay for that," Misato said. "Are they at least behaving well?"

"Towards us, yes," Aoba replied, referring to NERV personnel. "While familiar with EVA operations they're not at all familiar with the GeoFront and our facilities. They can't really get anything cleaned up or functioning without our cooperation."

Misato smiled. "Good. I want both of you to keep cooperating, but keep me informed on everything you see as significant about our new landlords. I'm not about to hand over the keys just yet."

* * *

Dressed in a hospital gown Rei stood by the window of her hospital room with her hand to the glass, watching as the silver EVA-04 picked up the remains of the Mass Production Series and carried them one by one to a location deep inside the GeoFront. She looked out at the mess that was now the interior space. While some of the foliage was still unspoiled, there were large pockets that were devastated by fire or flooding or battle damage. Even after a day smoke could still be seen coming from various parts of the underground sphere. As the sun went down the rays of sunlight reflected over parts of the sphere walls, casting shadows over the inner spaces.

She had spent her whole life here, inside the GeoFront or in the environs of Tokyo-3 on the surface. Now she looked upon the remains of what was left. Nearly all of her familiar surroundings were marred, scared from the battle or destroyed outright. With the Commander now a prisoner and Akagi and Futsuyuki dead she was truly an orphan, alone upon a new world that was on the horizon.

Yet she knew she wasn't really alone, watching as both Units 01 and 02 began to join Unit 04 in the cleanup. She had made connections in this new world already and found herself with feelings of both fear and anticipation of what was to come. But NERV had been the only home she ever had, and the source of her life in more ways than one. Surviving outside of it would present challenges ahead, and not small ones.

"Ayanami-chan?" The voice came from behind her. Rei turned around and saw Maya standing in her room. Still wearing her NERV uniform, she appeared weary and her head hung low. Rei was motionless as Maya approached her and placed in her hand a small black leather bag that looked like an organizer.

"I know how Sempai was keeping you alive," Maya said to her softly. "I figured that I better give this to you." Maya unzipped the organizer Rei was now holding and showed the contents inside. There was a syringe and three vials of orange-colored liquid, along with a series of post-it notes in Dr. Akagi's handwriting.

The liquid was a LCL stabilizer, necessary to keep Rei's body from being destroyed from within. Her weekly injections had been a necessary part of her existence since ever she was created, another symbol of her synthetic nature.

"There's more downstairs, in her laboratory" the controller told her. "Enough to last a lifetime."

The blue-haired girl looked at Maya. Her skin was pale, her eyes were sunken in with dark circles, and her hair was a tussled mess showing none of the neatness she was usually known for. Despite her disheveled appearance Maya still gave Rei a broken smile.

"You're free now," she said. "Please live a good life, Ayanami-chan." Maya Ibuki then turned and walked slowly outside, stumbling into the hallway.

* * *

_Tokyo-2 (Nagano)_

Outside of Tokyo-3, the results of the preceding evening's broadcast were being felt all over Japan. That morning the Japanese government attempted to counteract the Alliance's "media attack" with one of their own, claiming that NERV had hired foreign mercenaries to protect it while it tried to start its own Third Impact.

Unfortunately for the government the counter only brought on more questions about the entire nature of the EVA project itself. The Japanese had suffered months of being on the front lines of the war with the Angels, yet the very existence of the Angels was vigorously denied by the government (the official cover story of EVA still being killer asteroids and the massive program developed to destroy them). Those who had dared to pursue the truth were dealt with harshly. However after months of violent attacks and strange occurrences rumors in Japan about EVA were already rampant, and many citizens were scared and angry. Now with the recent events in Tokyo-3 the pressure had come to a rolling boil.

The video had certainly been effective in prompting the normally docile Japanese people to action. Though it was less than fifteen minutes overall, the images of seeing Japanese troops gunning down unarmed people was shocking to people accustomed to presenting themselves as the most benevolent nation on Earth. Particularly horrifying was one segment of the video, where a middle school boy somehow trapped at NERV was nearly executed by three soldiers and only rescued at the last minute by a female NERV officer.

By the mid morning the crowd in front of the Prime Minister's palace in Tokyo-2 was growing by the thousands, coming from all over Nagano and the surrounding regions. People with loudspeakers started chanting, asking for the Prime Minister to come out and tell the truth. As the throng pressed on the gates surrounding the palace, a nervous JSSDF guard officer ordered his unit to fire into the crowd.

The move by the Palace guards had been anticipated by some in the Interior Ministry, who had quietly deployed a small drone with cameras within range of the palace. The resulting mayhem was captured on video and quickly disseminated. By the mid-afternoon not only were the crowds in Tokyo-2 now larger, but government officials, law enforcement agencies, and even many in the Self-Defense Forces were publicly distancing themselves from the national government. A popular revolution was beginning to form itself.

Attempts by the Prime Minister to call on help from the UN were to no avail. The Alliance had made the UN presence in Japan one of their targets the day before: their main building in Nagano was a smoldering wreck, and the UN high commissioner for Japan had disappeared mysteriously. Those foreign officials remaining were in the process of finding travel out of the country as soon as possible. Most of the UN military units in the country were also dissolving, with personnel going AWOL wanting nothing to do with the crimes of their masters.

At 6:00, as the crowds swelled in the streets of Tokyo-2 and the remaining JSSDF circled around the Presidential Palace and Parliament building, a meeting took place in a suburban police station about a mile away from the Presidential Palace. In the meeting were the Interior Minister, the Vice Chairman of the Defense Agency, and several of their subordinates. Also present were members of the former NERV mobile defense group.

The group of men and women were in heated discussion when two others entered the room. As they entered a few in the meeting gasped as everyone saw the two men.

"Ryoji Kaji!" one of the Interior officials exclaimed. "You were dead! I saw a body!"

"A necessary ruse," Kaji replied calmly.

The Interior Minister, a balding, thin man in his late seventies addressed him. "You are also Musashi? The source of the information regarding NERV and this conspiracy?"

"Also correct. I believe someone in the Ministry can vouch for me." Kaji pointed to a middle-aged woman holding a cat, who was also the Interior Ministry's chief of intelligence operations.

"It's true, he's been in deep cover for some time, both against NERV and the group that calls itself SEELE," she replied to the minister. "When he was flushed out he was recovered by the same foreigners who now hold the NERV facility, and contacted me soon thereafter."

"If what you say is true we've all been living a lie for the last fifteen years," the old minister said. "I can understand wanting to keep information about the Angels secret, but this business about forcing evolution by ending the world…it's quite difficult to accept!"

"Yet I've presented evidence about the events in Antarctica in 1999, as well as the construction of the EVA series," Kaji defended. "What's more is that we now have actual possession of the EVAs and NERV's commander, and evidence of the intent to deliberately create a Third Impact. While the national government plays at opposing such things, in fact they colluded both to the project and to covering it up by eliminating NERV itself, to facilitate SEELE's own intentions."

"By _we_ you are referring to the armed force that's taken Tokyo-3," the defense minister challenged. "Just _whose_ side are you on, Mr. Kaji?"

It was a question he had expected. "Japan, of course. My cooperation with the Alliance is necessary to bringing these truths to light. With Japan itself held captive to the wills of SEELE it was unable to take the actions necessary to counteract an intended Third Impact. Fortunately in my investigations I had run across contacts within the Alliance, " he nodded to Kikuchi who stood next to him, "who had a common interest in defeating SEELE."

The defense minister still challenged him. "By trying to overthrow our own government, wouldn't we also be facilitating the will of another foreign entity? It's the time of the Black Ships all over again!" The man referred to the coming of white men to Japan in the 1850s, and the chaos that had followed.

"The Alliance hopes to gain access to the EVA program to eventually use it as a weapon against SEELE itself," Kaji replied. "But to do that, they need to get the GeoFront fortress in Tokyo-3 to function and they are currently finding themselves quite unable to do so. They'll soon find out that they will need us much more than we need them, but we need to put ourselves in a position to take advantage of their dilemma in order to profit from this. Gaining control over the EVA in this manner will ensure our own national survival against what is likely to be a quite forceful move against Japan by SEELE itself, once they have recovered from this setback."

The others in the room fell quiet as they considered everything Kaji had told them. He then spoke to them one more time. "I think that all of us in this room have sense that the world went horribly wrong fifteen years ago. We," he again motioned to the other agent "knew this even as boys, trying to survive the ruins of Tokyo after it was bombed. Yet the opportunity to fully know the truth and act on it has not been given to us, until now."

"Many have suffered and died to help bring us to this place," he concluded. "We would be cursed by history itself to miss this chance we now have."

The Interior Minister was the first to reply. "This nation spent decades trying to pull itself out of the savagery of earlier times, only to find itself at the edge of the abyss again. I for one don't wish to see Japan corrupted any more than it is now, even if it means some compromises." He sighed. "Upon seeing the crowd outside the will is there I believe, but I worry about the means."

A middle-aged man with fair hair and glasses stepped forward. He wore olive-colored fatigues and combat gear. "I was also contacted by Mr. Kaji some time ago about this possibility," the man said. "We've quietly marshaled our strength, waiting for such an opportunity. We've got people from the Self-Defense Force, formerly from NERV such as myself, or the UN. I've also noticed that since their defeat yesterday and that video we saw, the JSSDF has been losing strength as their men don't want to be associated with what happened. We can beat them on the ground, I think," the man said, "but not without a price to pay."

"I see, Colonel Aida," the Vice Minister for Defense said. Turning to Kaji, he asked "are your friends in the Alliance good for more support if we need it?" The minister implied the need for more firepower.

Kaji nodded, as Admiral Vinson had promised him an entire squadron of combat drones at his disposal. "It can be done, and done discretely."

The Vice Minister crossed his arms and closed his eyes, concentrating hard for a minute. He then spoke with strong deliberation. "These sort of things are best done with momentum in hand, like a cavalry horse charging through enemy troops. The Prime Minister still has control over the N2 arsenal. We need to move quickly before he contemplates further use of them against us."

"Then let us be captains of our own destiny, for once," the Interior Minister said. "And may God himself be at our backs!"


	28. Chapter 27

_Australia_

Sir John stood outside of the command building and looked at the sun setting over the red rocks on the outback's horizon. Except for infrequent breaks he had not been outside of the command room for three days. Now with success in hand he could allow himself to rest and reflect.

He grabbed a pipe out of his front shirt pocket, pushed in some tobacco, and then lit it. The general took in a deep draw and let the smoke out slowly. Seventy-two hours ago it had seemed impossible to him he would even have this small luxury but the Alliance had hit its objectives well beyond his own expectations. However Sheffield was not so naive to think that this was at an end, but rather just beginning.

"Do you mind if I smoke here?" a voice behind him asked. Sir John turned around and saw a burly middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a broad mustache, dressed in khakis. He knew him immediately.

"What are you doing here?"

The man took out his own pipe. "I figured it was time to check in. I can see we're still here: how did it go?"

Sheffield reported as they both smoked and looked at the sunset. "The Alliance now has control over the remnant of Tokyo-3, plus two of the other branches. We've captured the NERV commander and we also have the two NERV EVAs in addition to our own. And," he said as he reloaded his pipe, "the government in Tokyo-2 is in the process of changing hands. Losses on our part were considerable but not unmanageable."

"How about the other side?"

"Two of their units got away. We still don't know where their main base is."

"You realize," the man said as he puffed his pipe, "they're not going to just give up. They've been at this for a few thousand years. Hell, this isn't even the first attempt!"

"I would anticipate that we may have much more trouble waiting for us. However our position is considerably stronger now than it was before." Sir John looked at him. "The odds are even now."

"Possibly," the man replied, letting out the smoke into a series of rings. "Was the boy useful to you?"

"Quite. He did well on the field despite misgivings, and his rapport with the Japanese pilots made him essential to our victory."

The man allowed himself a smile. "Good. Did you find his sister?"

"Not yet," Sheffield replied. "Your brother-in-law was considerably careful in hiding her. I've had people working on it and identified three possible locations, all in the Eastern United States. It's only a matter of time before we have her as well." The man nodded and continued to puff on his pipe.

After a while the man faced the general. "Do the others know of my existence?"

"No," Sheffield replied. "Their belief is that the information you provided us on SEELE came from some deep cover British and Israeli intelligence operation, not from a former member."

"Best to keep it that way," he said. "They still think I'm dead."

"As far as everyone else is concerned you're still Victor Rickover and you're still missing."

"Good enough," he shrugged. "You should be getting ready." The man put away his pipe and turned around to walk away.

"What are you going to do?" Sheffield asked him.

"Find a way how to stop them for good," he said over his shoulder.

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Misato was sleeping in her hospital bed when she felt the phone in her lap vibrate. She gently picked it up and saw the text message on the screen, sent by Kaji:

IT'S DONE. BACK HOME SOON.

She allowed herself a sigh of relief. The national government in Tokyo-2 had paid the price for what happened two days before. Hopefully with a change of power things could now start to get better, at least in Japan. She replied back by text.

OK. PLS HURRY WANT U HERE.

Within a moment came Kaji's own reply.

CIAO.

She closed the phone and leaned back in the bed to rest further. After nearly dying her recovery had gone relatively well, with Alliance doctors telling her she would likely be move out of ICU by tomorrow. Still she was one of the very lucky few left alive, and that came with some great responsibilities to the others at NERV, alive and dead.

"Guten Morgen!" a cheerful voice sounded from the doorway.

Misato turned to the doorway and saw Asuka bounding inside, still wearing a school uniform. She brought in a tray of food for Misato.

"Good morning," she replied with a broken smile.

"You look better," Asuka commented, handing Misato the food tray.

"Thanks. What I wouldn't give for a beer right now!" They both laughed as Asuka plopped down on a nearby chair. Misato took a bite out of the food, which was Japanese food including chicken, miso soup and white rice. "They got the cafeteria working again?"

The girl batted her eyelashes. "Actually I kind of flirted with someone to get that from outside."  
"Asuka," Misato said with a sly smile. "You didn't have to!"

The redhead smirked back. "It's okay. I think you need this. Just don't let Baka find out how I got it."

"You're secret's safe with me," Misato said while stuffing her face with rice. "Where is he, anyway?"

Asuka frowned a little. "He went to go get the First's clothes from the pilot lockers. Anyway I can't wait to get back to the apartment. I've worn the same thing for two days in a row!"

"Hopefully we still have a place left to go to," Misato commented.

The two chatted for a bit and then there was a knock on the doorway. They looked to see who it was and standing in the doorway was Hikari, holding Pen Pen in her arms. "Hello, everyone!" she said.

"Pen Pen!" Misato exclaimed as the penguin saw her and flapped excitedly. Hikari brought him over and placed him in Misato's arms as she quickly brought the bird in to a big hug.

"Ohhh, Mommy missed you!" she said, affectionately scratching the top of Pen Pen's head. The bird made a cooing sound, happy to be back in the arms of his surrogate mother.

"I hope that he wasn't any trouble for you," Misato said.

"Oh, no, but I had to pry him away from Nozomi to get him here. She's gotten quite attached to him."

Misato rubbed Pen Pen's belly as he squawked happily. "Well, she can come see him anytime she wants!"

"Thanks," Hikari said and turned to Asuka. Her expression went from gladness to worry. "Asuka, are you okay?" Asuka nodded happily as she stood up. "Yup! Couldn't be better!"

"I'm so glad! I was _so_ worried about you!" Before they could say anything else the two fell into a tight embrace, giggling and crying as they were happy to see each other again.

"Hey, don't let us interrupt you!" called a voice from the doorway. Standing there on a pair of crutches was Toji, with Kensuke standing next to him.

"Hey, boys! Long time no see!" Misato said.

"Good Morning, Major ma'am!" Toji and Kensuke both called out. "Please excuse us for not bowing!"

"It's all right," Misato answered. "Come on in!"

Kensuke went to the hallway and grabbed more chairs for everyone, while Hikari gently eased Toji into a chair as he fussed. She then sat next to him, reaching over and holding his hand. Asuka stood while waiting for a new chair.

"So what brings you guys here?" asked Misato as she fed Pen Pen food from her tray.

Toji and Hikari looked at each other and sighed deeply in relief. "We have had _way_ too much excitement in the last week," Hikari said.

"Oh?"

"Apparently the government didn't get the news that I am no longer an EVA pilot," Toji said. "They tried to 'off' me in Osaka-2 about three days ago."

Both Misato and Asuka gasped in shock. "What?" Misato cried.

"Yeah," Hikari said, squeezing her boyfriend's hand. "He would have been gone if it hadn't been for that English girl Mary and those people in the Alliance."

"Do you mean that _Mary_ saved you?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah," Kensuke replied dreamily as he brought in two more chairs. "She's awesome!"

"Oh, really?" Misato asked coyly. "I think I'd like to meet this girl. Did you three just get here?"

"No, we were in a big aircraft carrier just offshore," Toji said. "We saw the whole thing!"

Kensuke was still in complete bliss. "World War III and Third Impact, all on the same day! It was cool! Too bad I ran out of memory cards..."

"But, Katsuragi-san," Hikari asked, "What was that giant that appeared? Was that an Angel?"

"That wasn't an angel!" Kensuke countered. "It looked just like Ayanami-chan!"

"How could it be _her?_" Toji said. "The thing was huge! Besides, Ayanami didn't have wings...did she?"

Misato listened to the others and glanced at the doorway. What she saw made her smile just a little more." You know, Toji, you could just _ask_ her!"

"How can I ask her if she's..." Toji was about to reply when glanced over his shoulder at who Misato was smiling at. Standing in the doorway and wearing her blue and white school uniform was Rei. Shinji was standing next to her, holding her hand.

"...dead."

Hikari's face went pale at the sight of Rei. Kensuke grinned and said quietly "I told you it was her."

Shinji whispered in Rei's ear "Are you sure you want to do this?" She looked at him and nodded.

"Their scientists finished examining her last night," Shinji explained to the others, "so I figured everyone would want to see her."

All of them were silent as Rei gently sat herself down on the empty seat next to Toji. Shinji moved to stand next to her but Asuka grabbed him first, wrapping her arm around his and pulling him away.

Without saying anything Toji took his finger and poked Rei on her side, just to make sure that she was actually there. She looked at him curiously as he did so.

"How are you, Rei?" Misato asked.

"I am well, Major," she replied in her whisper-like voice.

_Goodness, what do you say to her after what happened?_ "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I think that it is now."

"That's great. We're all very glad to have you back."

Kensuke broke the silence of the others. "They said Unit 00 self-destructed! How did you survive that?"

"I am still me but this body is different," Rei replied matter-of-factly.

"It's her, all right," Toji said to Kensuke. "Only Ayanami says weird stuff like that."

"It's good to see you again no matter what happened!" Hikari told her, smiling. Rei nodded and gave her a little smile as well, which surprised Hikari.

Toji turned his attention from Rei to Shinji. "Hey, you!" he smiled at him. Shinji then realized that he had not actually seen Toji since the Unit 03 disaster. As elation mixed with guilt, Shinji blushed a little in embarrassment as he stared at Toji's missing leg.

"We all heard what happened," Toji told him. "Good job saving the world!"

"I didn't do anything like that," Shinji replied. "I just piloted again, that's all."

"No need to be modest," Kensuke said. "It takes a real bad-ass to take on nine of those things!"

"Hey!" Asuka protested. "Don't forget me! While this guy was crying in the EVA cage I had to fight those things off first!"

"And then when you sat there on your ass with no battery we had to go and bail _you_ out!" Heads turned and they saw two others standing at the doorway.

"Patrick!" Misato exclaimed.

"Whoa! Also back from the dead!" Toji said.

"Sorry I didn't get her earlier," the American boy said. "I had to go and get Mary." Patrick was dressed in a camouflage uniform similar to the Alliance soldiers while Mary wore a blue hospital robe. Her right eye was bandaged, but she still wore her red-framed glasses over her eyes and her right foot was in a cast. "Hello, everyone!" Mary said cheerfully.

"So this is the mysterious English girl," Misato said.

"Mary Illustrious _Makinami_. Pleased to meet you, ma'am!"

"You're Japanese?"

"Yes, on my mum's side."

"Um, could we get her a seat?" Patrick asked and Kensuke quickly offered his own. Both Patrick and Kensuke helped her move over to the seat. As she went across the room Mary hobbled by Shinji. "How are you, puppy-kun?" she asked him with a wide smile.

"I'm fine, I think," Shinji bashfully responded.

"That's good." She cutely patted him on the cheek and moved to the chair that Kensuke offered. Upon seeing the encroachment Asuka said nothing but wrapped her hands much tighter around Shinji arm.

As Mary sat herself down Patrick looked at Rei and waived his hand. "Hi there!"

"Oh, hi," she replied. Her voice warmed up just a little.

"I didn't see you come back last night. Where were you?"

"I was still being examined by Dr. Foch," Rei told him. "He is _very_ curious."

"I bet he is."

Mary looked around the room and saw that nearly everyone had their eyes glued to her. "So, What'd I miss?"

"Only about fifteen Angels," Asuka replied coldly.

"Better late than never, I suppose. I was afraid I'd miss the party entirely!"

Misato leaned back in the bed, picking up Pen Pen and stroking his head again while he softly cooed. "Well, I now have _six_ EVA pilots in one room."

"Yeah, if you get any more Angels they don't stand a chance," said Kensuke.

"There will be no more Angels," Rei said. "That part is done."

"But we still may need EVA yet," Misato finished. "Mankind is turning out to be more dangerous than the Angels are. _Much_ more dangerous." She looked at Shinji as she spoke and he nodded knowingly.

Toji kept glancing at Rei and then spoke up. "But there's something about all of this that I don't get!"  
"What's that, Toji?" the Major asked.

"I mean, if Ayanami could do that…you know, become that big giant thing, why even bother with the EVAs in the first place?"

"What do you mean, you idiot!" Asuka argued. "You need EVA to fight the Angels!"

"Would you really?" he replied. "Did you see her? She was as big as Mount Fuji! If she could do that why not just send Ayanami to fight the Angels! Then you wouldn't have to spend all that money and stuff, digging up all of Lake Ashi, having Shinji and Asuka freak out every time some Angel attacks."

"I didn't freak out!" Asuka retorted. Shinji rolled his eyes at that.

"Whatever. I mean, look at everything that happened. I lose my leg. My sister nearly gets killed. Lots of people actually did get killed. Other people got sucked into black holes and stuff." Toji motioned to Rei "Why not just make things easier and have her do it!"

"Toji!" Hikari exclaimed. "She could get hurt doing that!"

"She blew up herself and then there she is sitting right in front of you! Besides, she could probably whack them pretty good, if you know what I mean!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Hikari told him sternly.

Toji defended himself. "I'm just saying, you know?"

"I wouldn't mind," Rei herself said.

"Rei!" Misato exclaimed. "At least stand up for yourself a little bit!"

"How about the next time the Angels come we'll put _you_ in charge," Kensuke told Toji.

"Fine," Toji said and then crossed his arms and gave what he considered a serious, commanding pose. "First thing I do is move the base to Osaka."

"Osaka!" said Asuka.

"Yeah. We'll call it Osaka-3. At least that way I don't have to go so far for decent takoyaki. The stuff they make here never tastes right!"

Misato giggled as did several of the others, probably the first good laugh they had in a long while. "Well, at least you got your priorities straight!"

For the next hour the eight children and Misato visited and talked about all of their adventures, catching up with each other and joking and playing like the nightmares of the last few months were simply those made up in their dreams.

Nurses then whisked out the pilots and others as Misato was attended to, and the group as a whole moved to the top floor of the hospital to Mary's room, given to her just that day as she was moved from the ICU ward. The impromptu party continued for another hour as the others had questions for both Mary and Patrick about their side of events. They were interrupted as Mary was also checked up on by the medical staff, and the group minus one was pushed out again.

Kaji returned after some time and met the children in the hallway with local food gotten somewhere from outside, preferable to the Alliance's rations (although Kensuke quite favored them) and there were still more tales to tell. After several hours despite Asuka's protestations Kaji made his leave, and Toji and the others made a decision to stay in the hospital for the night instead of going back to the ship. Shinji and Patrick let the other boys sleep in the room they shared, while Asuka had space for Hikari in her own room. Pen Pen stayed with Hikari, sleeping very peacefully under her arms.

Rei kept to herself that night, exhausted from the ordeal of socializing with others. Patrick and Shinji walked her back to her room and she told them both she was happy she could be with everyone. Without saying another word she then closed her door. The boys knew to leave her on her own for a time, as she had probably never been so much the center of attention before now.

* * *

Later that night Shinji found that he couldn't sleep and wondered around the hospital. Like all of the children, he was still shadowed by Alliance guards who were careful to keep him in sight but not be in his way. He went down three flights of stairs and returned to Misato's room. Entering inside he found her awake, and staring at the wall opposite her bed.

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" she asked. Shinji shook his head.

"Me, too." She looked at the IV stuck in her left arm. "This thing's on wheels. I think I might be able to walk around a bit." She smiled at him. "Care to join me?"

Shinji smiled back. "Sure."

The two of them walked slowly down the hospital hallway. Misato found that she would walk but it was strained, the pain and stiffness from her injuries were still quite strong. Even so it felt good to her to be moving again. While they walked they looked around and saw that the signs of the battle were still apparent: bullet holes, burn marks, and shattered windows were everywhere, and the small number of medical staff (Alliance and NERV) were busy attending to patients or on other matters. Many of the less seriously wounded had been moved out the day before to ships offshore or to other places in the GeoFront that could accommodate them.

"So," Misato asked Shinji as they walked, "things really took an interesting turn, didn't they?"

"Yeah," Shinji said. "It was like the whole world turned upside down!"

"True."  
Shinji looked at her. "I'm really happy that Kaji's back!" Misato nodded. "So am I. Only now I got a find a way to live with that asshole!" They both chuckled and kept walking.

"What will happen now?" Shinji asked her.

"Right now they're still working out an agreement between the Alliance and the new government in Japan for joint control of NERV and the EVAs. That's where Kaji is right now, trying to work it out between both parties."

"Ayanami said there's no more Angels. If that's true will they still keep EVA around?"

"SEELE is still out there with their own units and they're bound to cause trouble, especially after this. Sorry, but I guess you'll still be piloting."

"I don't mind anymore," Shinji said. "I still don't really like it, but after having been through everything, how much _worse_ can it get?" They both laughed again, Misato choking a little as she did so.

"Misato, what will happen to my dad?" Shinji asked.

"I don't know. They've made him an offer for cooperation but so far he's not budged. He may be trying to wait it out and see if we can really run EVA without him. Sooner or later he'll have to answer for his part in the whole mess, though." She turned to Shinji. "How do you feel about him being taken?"

"Honestly it's sort of a relief," the boy said. "One part of me wanted to see him go and one part didn't. But I don't feel like I really need him at this point." Misato stopped when he heard Shinji say that.

"So I guess you've really grown up, then?"

The boy paused a little. "I don't really think so! I still feel pretty much the same as before."

"Oh, I can see it," she smirked. "Certainly Asuka can. She's been _quite_ attached to you recently."

"Yeah, well…it_ is_ kind of a nice feeling having her there," Shinji sighed smiling to himself. "I really did miss her a lot!"

"You two will be just fine!"

They walked for a little longer until reaching the end of the hallway. The lights were dimmer on this part, to save energy and make sleep easier to the patients. Misato stopped and turned around to face Shinji. She looked at him with a gentle smile, the kind Shinji knew was the one she often used when she wanted something.

"Well I seem to recall a certain promise I made earlier if we both got out of this," she said to him. Shinji remembered the promise too, of course, and had tried very hard to avoid bringing it up.

"Um, Misato-san," he said nervously, "things were pretty bad then. I'm sure you really didn't mean anything like that!"

"Of course I did!" she said. "Hey, I may not be the purest girl you'll ever meet, but I _always_ keep my promises!"

"But, what about Kaji-san?"

"This isn't about Kaji-san, this is about _you_," she replied as she playfully poked his chest. "I think for saving the world you deserve a beautiful woman as a reward, and just as soon as I'm out of here you're welcome to a 'free shot' at me!"

He stood there for a while, stunned at the offer. Shinji had to admit to himself that he was very tempted.

"I think everything worked out the way it should have," he said dryly.

Misato was genuinely disappointed. "Suit yourself!"

* * *

Patrick slept quite well that evening, unaware of what was happening to his other self halfway around the world.

_Somewhere in the Eastern United States_

The girl sat in a hospital bed, dressed in a white nightgown. She had woken up two days before and now found herself in very unfamiliar surroundings. As she had slowly regained consciousness, the blonde girl with emerald eyes referred to by the hospital staff as "sleeping beauty" spoke to the nurses in her room, telling them her name and asking for her father.

When she was first admitted to the secret clinic, the hospital manager was given an email address to use if she ever awoke. He promptly sent a message and received an almost immediate reply, requesting that the girl be isolated until she could be picked up within a couple of days. It was emphatically instructed that she not be allowed to watch any television, listen to radio, or have any other contact with the outside world.

So she was locked in her room and contact with the staff was kept to a minimum. Her questions about where she was and what happened went unanswered, and as she quickly recovered her strength her frustration turned into outright anger.

After two days of isolation she was determined to get an answer to where she was. In the early afternoon she heard noises from the outside hallway and saw through the frosted glass of the hospital room door the silhouettes of others outside.

She jumped down off the bed and ran to the door, pounding on it with her small fists. "Hey! "Let me out of here!" She kept pounding on the door and kept calling out until the door opened up slowly. The teenaged girl stood back to see who was entering.

An old man rolled into the room on a motorized wheelchair. His hair was silver, his eyes were covered by a vision enhancement visor, and he wore a green tunic. The man's wheelchair moved inside as the door was closed behind him by another.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"My name is Chairman Keel. I'm an old friend of your father's. You are Erin Forrestal, I presume?"

"Yeah, that's right. Where am I? Where's my father?"

"You are the pilot of Evangelion Unit 04, yes?"

Erin straightened up a bit. "Yes, I am."

The chairman used a remote control to turn on a television monitor mounted on the wall.

"Six months ago you suffered an accident while inside Unit 04, correct?"

"I think so, I don't remember. All I remember is waking up in this place two days ago."

"Yes. Well my child, quite a lot has happened. Unfortunately while you were gone there was an act of sabotage at your father's facility. This," he motioned to the screen, "is what happened two months ago."

The monitor showed footage of Unit 04's disappearance at Second Branch, as a giant sphere of energy engulfed the Nevada desert base in a matter of seconds. Erin gasped as she saw the crater that was left in the wake of the event. "What...what happened?"

The old man sighed and told her in a sad voice, "I am very afraid my child that I have some bad news..."


	29. Epilogue

**_Two weeks after Third Impact…_**

_Australia_

Moira Wellington stood outside of a solitary, one-story building on the outskirts of the Alliance's Pine Gap base. It was hot and dry, as it usually was this time of year. Standing along with her were two Alliance soldiers dressed as she was in tan desert-pattern camouflage uniforms.

A Land Rover drove up to the building and General Sheffield got out of the driver's seat. He approached the building, holding an envelope in his left hand.

"G'Day, Sir John!" Wellington greeted.

"Good Day, _Leftenant_. How is our guest doing?"

"He just sits there all day and looks at the wall in deep thought. Hasn't said a word since he got here."

"I see. It's the contemplative types I worry about most. Whatever they're going over in their minds is usually not good. Let's have a chat with him, shall we?" They both walked into the gray-painted building.

The small building was a holding facility originally used for "undeclared high-value intelligence assets," which was a fancy way of saying "secret spy prison". The old place now had only one permanent resident: Gendo Ikari.

The two Alliance officers passed by several security doors and reached a single cell at the end. A single guard stood at the front, and unlocked the door to allow them both in.

Sitting at a table was Gendo. He was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, with one sleeve dangling from his missing arm. He wore glasses but otherwise had no other items other than his shoes. As the two walked in and chairs were brought in for them to sit on the former NERV commander glared at them like a hungry wolf. Sheffield and Wellington sat down and the guards left, locking the door behind them.

Sheffield opened up the envelope and slid several photographs across the table to Ikari. They were mostly taken from the interior of the NERV facility, and were shots of the Evangelions walking about or being tended to by others. In addition to the EVAs there were also clear shots of the pilots, including Shinji and Asuka in their plug suits, accompanied by Alliance and former NERV personnel. Rei was also in one of the photos, dressed in her school uniform, and was staring directly at the camera. Patrick Forrestal stood beside her.

"As of now we have complete control over the NERV facility, as well as your two remaining Evangelion units. You can see in the photos here the pilots are cooperating with us at the moment. Also, we have worked out an arrangement with the new Japanese government for continued operations under joint control."

Gendo studied the photos as Sheffield continued. "We've done an investigation into the death of Dr. Akagi and determined that you did shoot her in self-defense after she tried to self-destruct the GeoFront. Furthermore in the interests of further cooperation we are very willing to overlook many of your more…questionable activities in the pursuit of the EVA project's goals. You can't be completely absolved of responsibility, of course, but we can certainly put in a strong word in your favor against the investigation that has already been launched."

The former commander was silent for a while as he considered what Sheffield had told him. Then looking at the general in a narrow glance he asked "What do you want?"

Sheffield matched Gendo's glare with a serious one of his own. "Help us fill in the gaps of our knowledge. Inform us of how you constructed the Evangelion units themselves, and from what source of information, Secret Dead Sea Scrolls or otherwise, did you obtain the data necessary to put your project into being. In return you have a chance to be a free man again." Sheffield paused to let it sink in, then said "all things considering that is quite a generous offer on our part, as not everyone in the Alliance is so appreciative of what it took to fight the Angels and may just be looking for scapegoats to hang."

He looked at Sheffield again with dead eyes. "If not?"

Sir John leaned over the table. "Then I have the pleasure of avenging the untimely death of the mothers of over forty children."

"You know nothing," Gendo answered him, and leaned back in his chair. He pushed the photos back over to Sheffield. Without looking at him the general quickly gathered up the photos and put them back in the envelope. The two officers then stood up and Wellington banged on the door for it to be opened.

"We're done here," Sir John said simply to the guards and they were both let out. Gendo then continued to silently look at the wall in front of him. Inside of him though was a deep and burning rage.

_You know NOTHING!_

_

* * *

_

_Tokyo-3_

At the EVA cages Admiral Vinson stood on the gangway with his hands on the railing. Wedged in the steel gantries in front of him was Evangelion Unit 01, held in position as technicians moved around her. Colonel Burke stood next to him as they discussed the next step of their now lengthened operation.

"We completed our survey of the outside fortress system and found that it's basically inoperable. It's simply too damaged from all of the other battles to be of use," Burke reported. "The Geofront is barely functional as it is, with many places still without power or ripped apart by either the last attack or in previous actions versus the Angels."

"We can't afford to rebuild the place completely," Vinson replied. "We won't have the enormous UN budget the other guys had."

"On the other hand we'll probably spend the money more prudently," the colonel quipped.

"True. Still put the emphasis on rebuilding the EVA operations and maintenance, everything else can take a back seat to that."  
"What about the city?" Burke asked. "The Japanese want us to help rebuild Tokyo-3 city center."

"No," Vinson said directly. "We're not making that mistake twice. Knock down what's left of the city. I want you to make the outside 20 kilometers around this place a freaking kill zone. Nothing lives around here unless we say it does."

"Yes, sir."

Vinson turned as Dr. Viraat approached. He was busy operating an LCD tablet as he walked up to the admiral.

"Excuse me, I need to discuss some other things with our new chief scientist." Burke nodded and turned to walk away as Vinson met the short Indian scientist further down the gantry.

"Good Afternoon, doctor. Are you able to restore Unit 05?"

"You have to understand what I'm dealing with Admiral," the scientist said. "Most of the laboratories here are shot to smithereens. There's still bakelite overflowing in over 50% of the engineering bays and I'm horribly short-staffed. That's not to mention that bloody everything around here is written in Japanese."

Vinson folded his arms and smiled. "Johnnie said that you liked challenges."

The doctor scoffed at that. "This isn't a challenge. This is banging your head against a wall until you lose all feeling!"

"Are you able to do it or not?"

The scientist pointed a finger at him. "Lucky for you I am a master scrounger and tinkerer. Thanks to SEELE for providing me with a wide variety of spare parts with their Mass Production series. With some luck I might get her active in a few weeks and fully operational within months IF you don't strain me further with other requests."

Vinson smiled and leaned on the railing again, looking at Unit 01. "Doctor," he said quietly, "what would it really take to make _more_ units?"

The scientist was quiet for a bit as he considered the question. "How many more?"

"Whatever is practical."

"We've got parts for another two or three, if we can scavenge from the Mass Production series," Viraat said. "But we'll need cores. The core for Unit 05 was made in Japan by GEHIRN, not by us. Only the Forrestals were able to duplicate it and now…"

"So is that a no?" Vinson asked.

"I suggest what you really need Admiral," Viraat replied as he pointed downwards, "are lots of men with picks and shovels. If they have more cores, they're probably hidden away here somewhere."

* * *

Down in Terminal Dogma, Dr. Foch and Beatrix entered the Dummy Plug Plant. Having spent the last two weeks functioning both as surgeon and scientist, Foch had only a painfully little amount of time to fully study what he had really come to Tokyo-3 to see. Now as he opened up the inner sanctum of the Evangelion project he could finally focus on getting answers.

"Ah," he said in amazement. "A_ sub-atomic_ multi-wave resonance scanner." He used his hand to feel around the scan tube. "I'll say one thing: I certainly can't fault Dr. Akagi's engineering skills!"

Foch looked at the computer terminals as his assistant directed her gaze on the LCL tank in the back. Even after three weeks the fragments of the Reis were still floating, well-preserved in the red-colored liquid.

"I can see they wiped the memory banks clean," he said upon reading the terminals. "We'll have to start from scratch."

"Doctor," Beatrix asked. "What will we do with these?" she motioned to the tank.

He folded his arms and thought for a moment. "Take them out and scavenge them. We'll need tissue samples to study. Also, whatever was producing the LCL here is now gone but that girl's got LCL for blood. She and these," he pointed to the tank "are probably the only source of LCL left on Earth. We'll need to find a way to synthesize it in order to keep the EVAs functional." He looked at her, his face suddenly brightening up. "I'd say start with an intact femur and see if we can't get the marrow out and clone it." His assistant nodded and then went about finding the controls for the LCL tank.

The old scientist stepped back and took in the whole view of the tank and the scanner, whispering to himself "I think I'm going to have quite a bit of fun here!"

* * *

_Osaka-2_

A couple of days after the children were reunited, the Suzaharas and Horakis returned to Osaka-2. This time they were lent a few agents from the Interior Ministry as protection. They all came back to the house the Suzaharas had rented and began again the process of unpacking and settling down to what they hoped would be a less exciting life.

In the evening Toji sat on a bench in the small backyard of the house as Hikari slid open the patio door, donned some wooden outdoor slippers, and walked out to see him. She was wearing a knit pattern sweater with a long skirt and as usual had her hair tied up in braids. Toji never seemed to take off his polyester track suit.

She sat down on the bench next to him, leaning back and relaxing a bit in the cool night air. "Everyone's finally settled down," she told him. "Dad's still up in the TV room drinking _sake_ with your dad." Toji nodded and leaned back on the bench just a little closer to where Hikari sat.

"Your sister seems okay," she said. "She's still doing well even after being moved around so much."

"She's a fighter, she'll be alright," he said. He was looking at the crescent moon in the sky.

Hikari breathed in the night air and let it out slowly. "I'm glad to be back. It's not really home yet but it still feels good to come back here."

"Yeah," Toji said quietly. Hikari could sense that he was holding something back. "What is it?" she asked.

"The moon's really beautiful tonight, isn't it?" he said.

"It sure is." Hikari nestled herself right next to Toji, having a hunch about what his odd behavior was leading to.

"You know, I'm really no good at this stuff," he started.

"What do you mean?"

"Like this boy-girl thing. I mean, we're not even really dating at all, we're just together and..."

"So," Hikari said. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. I just, well...if you asked me to shoot hoops from the 3-point line I can do it and all, but if you asked me to make a girl happy I really don't know where to start."

She gave a little giggle. "What's funny?" Toji asked.

The Class Representative was direct with him. Smiling, she said "Toji Suzahara, would you like to kiss me?"

The boy was now very nervous. "Um, yeah, if that's alright with you. But I haven't done it before, you know, and I don't wanna, well...miss."

"I haven't either, really, but," she said a little bashfully "I don't think you'll miss."

"Really?"

"Uh-uh," she nodded, putting her finger to her lips. "Just put it right through the hoop!"

Toji raised his eyebrows in sudden awareness. _Suddenly this all makes sense to me!_

"Okay, then," he said, leaning towards her. "I'm coming in for the shot."

Hikari nodded and placed her hands in her lap, closing her eyes. In the next second she felt his warm lips touch hers. It was a sweet, mysterious sensation.

"How'd I do?" he asked.

She flashed two fingers at him. "Two points!"

* * *

_Tokyo-2_

After Third Impact life just kept getting better for Kensuke Aida. A phone call from his father revealed that as a result of his participation in the _coup d'etat_ in Tokyo-2, he had been offered appointment as a major general in the new Japanese Army. Furthermore he would be in command of Japanese combat units assigned to the Alliance under the new agreement that had been formed. While he had never quite gotten along with his distant father, Kensuke was quite happy to see him promoted. He was especially happy when his father sent a helicopter gunship to pick him up at Tokyo-3 and fly him to the capital.

The reunion between the two was short-lived however, as his father was now caught up in the business of re-organizing the new national army (which dropped the old name of the Ground Self-Defense Force). This actually suited Kensuke just fine, as now with no school (the Tokyo-3 middle school was still closed and he was not yet transferred to anywhere else) he had plenty of time to go through his vast collection of videos and photos of recent events.

Using the handle "WARMASTER" and a proxy IP address he had obtained through slightly underhanded means he began to post images of Alliance military hardware, often in combat settings, and provide detailed notes on what he had seen. As the intensively heavy security on Evangelion-related items by both the UN and NERV Section Two was no longer present, there had been an explosion in the on-line world of questions and information about the long-rumored giants and the war with the Angels. Kensuke of course had a front row seat to it all and posted video of the EVAs, some of it quite incredible.

The result was that in the virtual world WARMASTER quickly became something like a rock star, and soon he was flooded with messages from all over the Internet asking for more. No stranger to scrutinizing security (his father had warned him many times before on posting his videos of EVA), he released his best footage sparingly and was careful not to post actual names or images of the pilots. Within a week of his first post his blog of EVA, NERV and the Alliance was one of the most widely read and linked to across the globe.

One evening as he was updating his blog he received a phone call from Mary. She had been released from the hospital and asked if she could come see him in Tokyo-2. Kensuke quickly accepted and the next morning she arrived at his apartment.

The doorbell rang and Kensuke ran downstairs to get the door. Opening it up he found Mary: she was on crutches, a cast was still on her right leg up to the knee, and she had an eye patch underneath her glasses. Wearing a short black pleated skirt and a sweater vest, she smiled at him brightly.

"Mind if I come in?" she asked.

"Of course!"

Behind her was an Alliance military vehicle with two soldiers inside that she said goodbye to. The vehicle didn't drive off but remained parked on the street instead, providing a watchful eye on the neighborhood.

"I hope you don't mind the pirate outfit!" she pointed to her eye-patch. "I was considering getting a hook for the hand as well."

"You'd look cute in anything," he replied quickly. Kensuke grabbed her bag and placed it in a guestroom that was filled with boxes still unpacked from their move, and then helped her go up the stairs with him.

They both entered a room that was labeled "TACTICAL OPERATIONS CENTER" from a hand-drawn sign taped to it. Inside the small bedroom was a tangled mess of video screens, computers and other electronics alongside a myriad selection of cameras and military paraphernalia.

"Oh my!" she said upon seeing his lair. "You're ready for the next war in here."

"Yeah, it's more messy than usual. I kind of unpacked in a hurry."

Kensuke cleared off space on his bed to allow Mary to sit down while he sat back at his main computer and began to pull up his video archives to show off to her. For the next hour he ran his best video footage of what he had seen in the last few months. Mary was suitably impressed.

"That's incredible!" she said after watching one scene of Unit 01 fighting the Fourth Angel. "The EVA nearly killed you!"

"Yeah. Toji and I about shit our pants after that happened."

"How did you keep this footage? Wouldn't NERV bloody well take your camera away?"

"I got really good at making backup copies," he smirked.

They watched a few more videos together and then Kensuke decided it was time to up his game a little. He pulled out his laptop and sat down on the bed next to Mary. To him she looked quite sexy with her legs crossed wearing that short skirt, even with the cast on. He thought to himself _she's really getting into this. After I show this last one maybe I can break 'the curse' today!_

"I have two more to show you," he said, setting up his laptop and scooting close to her. He played the next video file to her joyful response.

"That's my EVA! Flying right off the deck!" she squealed. He nodded in as cool of an expression as he could make.

"That's brilliant!" She impulsively threw her arms around him and squeezed him. The boy was on Cloud 9. "There's one more to show you," he then said. Kensuke then opened up one more video file, titled 'ANGEL A.' The file showed a giant white figure towering above the horizon.

"What's this?" she asked.

"This is the final Angel, the one that appeared over the GeoFront."

"That's…beautiful!"

"Yeah." He paused for a moment and then told her. "I'm going to post this on the blog."

Mary thought for a moment about this. "Aida-kun? Have you thought this through?"

He nodded. "This is the best image of her I have. Most of the others were taken from too far away, and with camera phones and things like that. This is with my high quality digital camera, as close up as we could get. "

"I see that but…hasn't the Alliance or the authorities released this image? I mean they'd have to have cameras during the battle."

"Well," he thought, "maybe they were too busy fighting."

"Or maybe they don't want to frighten people, find a way to release this when they can handle the shock."

"Oh come on!" Kensuke countered. "The secret's out now, anyway. This will just be so cool when it gets out there!"

Kensuke worked the keyboard while she moved closer to him. "You know, you might just want to be careful with this. People might make the wrong assumptions about what happened."

"Life's not worth living if it's not on the edge," he replied, trying to sound like some sort of hero.

"Recklessness isn't the same as Courageousness," she countered in a low voice.

"Anyway, it's done. See?" He showed her the screen as his blog had been updated with the new video image. "This is going to change everything!"

Mary had to agree with him about that.

* * *

_Tokyo-3_

Misato stood in the new graveyard as the final two plots were prepared. She had been released from the hospital three days earlier, and had spent the time since then she was out making arrangements with the many families of those from NERV killed in the assault. It had been an overwhelmingly draining experience, even with Kaji and the controllers to help, as many of the families were angry and wanted answers. She would simply say to as many as she could that things still were in flux and that the truth would get out and soon. She made a vow to herself that indeed it would get out.

She promised herself she wouldn't cry at Ritsuko's grave but upon reaching the site she promptly broke the promise. Dressed in black and accompanied by Kaji and the controllers, Misato sobbed as she clung to Kaji at the sight of the new grave marker, laying her head on his chest as he gently stroked her black hair.

Maya was there as well, also dressed like Misato in a black dress. A week earlier Hyuga had found Maya in her wrecked apartment, lying on the floor emaciated in a fetal position. Gently he coerced her outside and took her to recover in an _onsen_ traditional spa in the Hakone countryside. Within a few days she had somehow found her strength again and she had returned to join the others in this most important of tasks.

While everyone else looked on Maya gently knelt down to the ground and placed lilies on Ritsuko's grave. She didn't cry anymore: perhaps it was because she was all spent out or perhaps she felt it was just better to be happy as she could. After placing the flowers she then reached into her pocket and pulled out two small ceramic cats, the same ones that once sat on to Dr. Akagi's desk in her lab. Maya then gently placed the two cats next to the grave marker.

"Farewell, Sempai," she said quietly. "I'll carry on the work. Thank you for everything!" Maya then stood up and stepped back, and prayed over the grave site.

Misato was unable to bring herself closer to the grave and just watched as Maya did the honors. She knew she would be back later when no one else was around, with a bottle of sake in her hand and her memories and she would share then. Once out of the hospital Misato had received an offer from Ritsuko's grandmother to bring her back to their family grave in Sapporo but she refused it. She knew that Ritsuko wouldn't want to be buried next to her mother and besides, Misato was selfish and wanted her best friend close by.

Next to Ritsuko's site was the grave for Dr. Kozou Futsuyuki. Having no remaining family the Tokyo-3 grave site was the logical resting place for the old professor. Aoba and Hyuga walked to the grave marker and Aoba gently dropped lilies on the ground to the one who had saved their lives. "Sleep well, old man," he said.

After it was finished the five of them walked back towards the main road where their vehicles were parked. Maya was in between the two other controllers, looking tired but otherwise smiling. Misato had recovered herself as well.

"So Maya are you staying?" she asked.

She shook her head. Hyuga spoke for her, with his arm around her shoulder. "We'll take her home to her grandparents in Aichi," he said. "Let her rest for a while."

"Okay, take care," Misato promptly hugged all three controllers in turn and then they turned back to go. Misato and Kaji stood among the fresh graves.

"So what now?" he asked her.

"There's going to be payback for this," she told him.

"Revenge is not always the best path," Kaji replied in a gentle tone.

Misato stepped back from him a step. "I don't want revenge. Revenge is why I first joined NERV," she told him. He knew why, as her father was killed in Second Impact when it had started in Antarctica.

"Then what do you want?"

"I want the truth to come out," she said, now with determination. "All of us were lied to, and all of us were forced to take part in the lie. No more. I have a story and I want to tell it."

"Then I'll help, and I'll tell my story too, and everyone's story as well. The best way to fight darkness is to illuminate it in light."

She nodded as he closed the distance and put his arms around her waist, and then gently kissed her. A graveyard was perhaps not the most romantic setting, he thought, but it would do.

Together holding hands they walked back to their vehicle. "Too bad about your place," he told her.

Misato shrugged. "It's just as well. At least I was able recover some things like photos. The kids were pretty disappointed, though." She looked up to him. "Did Asuka and Shinji make it to Germany?"

Kaji nodded. "Kikuchi's with them. They just arrived a few hours ago. Asuka said that she was going to take Shinji to meet family."

* * *

_Berlin_

Half-way around the world another couple stood at another graveyard. In Germany it was seven hours behind Japan, making the clock time earlier in the morning on the same day. The sun was just starting to burn away the early morning fog.

They had taken an Alliance transport from Tokyo-3 to Berlin (the same Gulfstream that Mary and Kaji had flow before actually) and then traveled by taxi straight to Holy Trinity Cemetery in the city center. Now together they stood at a grave site that had been sitting peacefully under the elm trees there for over ten years.

"_Danke, Mutter. Danke!_" Asuka said cheerfully at she spoke to the grave. "You were with me all the time!" Shinji stood next to her, holding her hand as she spoke. Asuka wore a more conservative black dress with broad white collars, while Shinji had on a black sports jacket and pants.

"I never should have doubted you were there for me!" she continued. "Thank you so much!" She looked at Shinji and smiled. "I know it now, and I promise you, I'll never be lonely again!"

She visited with her for a little while longer as Shinji watched Asuka report to her mother on her doings these last few years. She was kind enough to mention Shinji to mother as well, which somehow made him feel very good inside.

After the visit the two of them went walking around the cemetery on their way to the city streets surrounding it. Kikuchi was following them from behind, shadowing them from about fifteen meters away.

"You realize that if everything they say about EVA is true, she's not actually dead, you know?" Shinji said.

"I know but this makes me feel better," she responded, "and I like to think she can still hear me anyway." Shinji nodded in acknowledgment.

Asuka stretched out her right arm as if waking up and then took a deep breath. "Ahhh! It feels really good to get back here. I forgot how much I missed Germany! Have you ever been here before?" she asked Shinji.

"No. Actually I've never been outside Japan."

"Well then I'll have to show you around." She put her hand to her chin in deep thought. "Hmm. Let's see. We'll, first you have to see Brandenberg Gate, and then we'll go down to the Rhine and see the castles. Oh, and the Black Forest, you _have_ to go there, it's so pretty! And then we'll go see the Alps, and then..." Shinji laughed a little.

"What is it?"

"Shouldn't you see your family first?" he asked.

"Oh, God! They're the last thing I want to see. I'm not looking forward to that."

"Still, though, They _are_ family, aren't they?"

Asuka turned and stood in front of him. "After all this time we spent together are you _still_ that dense?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"  
She placed her hand on his shoulder and pointed her finger at him. "I only have one family and it's you. Okay?"

Shinji was taken aback. "Just me?"

"Well, Kaji and Misato too. And even the First, I guess. But EVA's my real family, always has been. I just didn't realize it until now."

He nodded and smiled and she smiled too. She took his hand again and they walked out to the street.

"Did you visit me in the hospital when I was there?" Asuka asked.

"Every day."

"I wasn't asleep all the time, you know. I could hear stuff in my room."

Shinji stopped in his tracks, suddenly very nervous. "Um, like what?"

"Like someone bawling their eyes out," she said directly.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that. I was pretty freaked out towards the end."

She was sterner with him. "Do me a favor next time and please don't do that! You're lucky that you've got me instead of some other girl. Otherwise there's no way they could possibly deal with you."

"Sorry," Shinji said.

"Don't mention it." She smiled at him again. "Come on, I know I really good place for sausages close to here, and right now I really need some German food. Can you live a few days without white rice and miso soup?"

He smiled. "I think I'll be alright."

They kept walking until Asuka stopped again. "There was this other thing, though."

"Like what?"  
"I had this weird dream that you once went to my room and jerked yourself off. You didn't do anything like _that_, did you?"

Shinji's face was as white as a sheet. "Uh, no! No, absolutely not!"

"Better not have," she muttered. "If I ever found out that actually happened you are _so_ dead! Disgusting!"

Shinji breathed a huge sigh of relief as they continued on.

* * *

In the first few days after the final battle, Rei had been subjected to a wide variety of tests conducted in secrecy by Dr. Foch and others. As he had postulated earlier Foch was able to determine that Rei was indeed a genetic match for the Evangelions, and especially Unit 01. That she was a clone was a given, but to the degree that she was in fact human was the main point of contention.

Some within the Alliance wanted to re-locate her to a location outside of Japan for further study, as understanding her would help in understanding the Evangelions themselves. Dr. Foch argued that she should remain at NERV, as only the GeoFront had the facilities to truly provide an adequate analysis of her unique physiology.

Once Misato had gotten wind from the controllers of the possible plan to move Rei, she immediately sought a meeting with Admiral Vinson. Still in her hospital bed, Misato argued to him that Rei effectively had been the prisoner of Commander Ikari and was subject to what she considered very inhumane treatment resulting in her undeveloped emotional state. Putting her through a continued existence of being a "lab rat" (her words) would neglect her humanity, and perhaps inflict permanent psychological damage. While understanding her importance to continuing the EVA program, Misato contended that Rei deserved a chance at a normal life. Besides, she said, Rei had probably thwarted Gendo's own plan for Third Impact and as a result all of mankind was in her debt.

After he heard Misato's opinion Vinson then asked to see Rei himself. In the lowest level of Terminal Dogma the two of them had a private discussion for forty-five minutes, the contents of which were not disclosed to anyone. Vinson then announced that Rei would be given to Misato's custody, but with the understanding that the Alliance would continue to study her for a limited period of two years. Dr. Foch would exclusively conduct the research at the GeoFront, once he had fully restored the equipment he needed, and he would do so strictly under Misato's direct supervision.

Because it would take some time for Dr. Foch to assemble what he needed Rei was then released into Misato's care, but still under tight security. When Misato asked Rei was there anything that she now wanted, she simply asked her if she could see the ocean: she had never seen it before and always wanted to.

Wearing a white sundress given to her by Misato, Rei stood on the fantail of the _Liberator _with her hands on the railing and looked out at the wide expanse in front of her. She could see the sea gently rolling in the wake of the giant ship as the sunlight reflected off the edge of the water. She heard the rush of the water and the sounds of the seagulls that gilded in the air. Rei closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, letting the refreshing scent of the ocean water linger in her lungs. The cool sea spray danced against her toes and she could taste the salt in the air. Letting go of her breath she opened her eyes again and smiled as she felt her muscles relax all over.

"Hi there!" a voice came from behind her. She turned around to see Patrick. He was wearing a gray and red vinyl jumpsuit, and carried a black and red duffel bag with him.

"I thought I might find you here," he told her, putting the bag down and walking up to the railing with her. Patrick couldn't resist taking in the sea air, closing his eyes and savoring the ocean with all of this senses.

"So, what do you think?" he asked her as he opened his eyes again.

"It's beautiful," she replied, looking out at the sea.

"It's freedom," he said. "It's what everyone is entitled to."

Rei turned her gaze from the sea to the bag that Patrick brought with him. It was a plug suit carrier, with the number 03 displayed prominently. He saw her looking at the bag and knew it was time.

Patrick walked back to the bag and took it by the shoulder strap. Careful to not get in Rei's way, he then moved to the side of the railing and swung the bag in the air as hard as he could, letting go of it into the ocean below.

They both watched as the duffel bag hit the ocean with a plop and then floated in the wake of the ship. Over the next few minutes the black and red bag became a tiny speck in the distance, bobbing up and down in the waves until finally disappearing from sight. Once the bag was gone Patrick also felt a great weight lift from his shoulders.

"Goodbye, Double-V," Patrick whispered as he watch the bag sink away. Rei stood at the railing alongside, close to him.

"What will you do now?" she asked.

"I've accepted that I'm bound with the EVA, so we'll go where we're needed," he said to her. "But Erin is still out there somewhere. I hope that maybe with EVA, I can make the link to her again that we had once before."

"She was able to find you once," Rei said. "You should be able to do the same."

"I hope so. How about you?"

Rei looked again out at the sea. "Surviving Third Impact was not a possibility that I had considered. Now that I'm here I need to explore things for a while, so that I can determine the path I need to take."

"Do that," Patrick told her. "Explore everything. Take all the time you need. If anyone in this world deserves that kind of freedom, it's you."

Rei turned to face him. "Thank you."

"Why?"

"For reaching out to me. If you had not done so," she told him, again facing away at the ocean. "I might not have made the choices I did."

"You looked like you needed a friend," Patrick replied softly. "And I'm so glad that I got to know you." She turned to look at him with her deep red eyes and smiled softly, blushing a little.

Patrick tried to find something else to say to the beauty in front of him, but like so many times before he didn't have the words. But at that moment he did know exactly what he wanted to do.

Without saying anything Patrick quickly reached out to Rei with both of his arms and wrapped them around her. At first she thought to struggle free, but he held her tightly and gently stroked her blue hair with his fingers. She put her head against his chest and felt the beating of his heart, the softness of the sea breeze, and the warmth of his body. Overwhelmed by all of the sensations around her Rei closed her eyes and let herself drift away as he continued to hold her close.

_Every connection I make to others is one more part of me discovering myself._

_Every experience, every sorrow, and every joy I have goes into the forming of my being._

_Every chance I take is like a bird learning to fly in the wind. I may struggle and fall but I can get up and try again, until I learn to spread my wings and soar above the earth in freedom._

_My name is Rei Ayanami, and I am me._

THE END

_**The Blue Rose is also hosted at .com**_.


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